Four Trinity Sunday Cantatas by JS Bach

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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

2010

Four Trinity Sunday Cantatas by J. S. Bach: An Examination and Comparison

Jeffry Blake Johnson West Virginia University

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Four Trinity Sunday Cantatas by J. S. Bach: An Examination and Comparison

Jeffry Blake Johnson

Research Project submitted to the College of Creative Arts at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance: Conducting

Kathleen Shannon, DMA, Chair and Research Advisor Mary Ferer, PhD, Research Advisor Cynthia Anderson, MM John Hendricks III, MM Lawrence T. Nichols, PhD

Division of Music

Morgantown, West Virginia 2010

Keywords: Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach cantatas, Leipzig cantatas, Trinity Sunday music, Philosophical/Theological ideas of Bach

ABSTRACT

Four Trinity Sunday Cantatas by J. S. Bach: An Examination and Comparison

Jeffry Blake Johnson

While the four cantatas presented on Trinity Sunday during Bach’s Leipzig years ‒ BWV 194, 176, 165, and 129 ‒ were all intended for the same liturgical day, a significant diversity exists among the four compositions. This diversity results from the variety of source material on which the cantatas were based, including material composed during the Leipzig years as well as material re-worked from previous Bach cantatas. The diversity also results from the different librettos and librettists that were utilized for the cantatas. Other factors include the variety of the cantatas’ movement structures, performing forces, and the theological/philosophical themes that are central to each composition. This document is a study of the four cantatas, first examining the compositions in detail, then examining the compositions by their commonalities and their dissimilarities, with specific attention to the methods by which Bach presented the theological/philosophical messages in each cantata. An appendix of translations and scriptural allusions for each cantata movement is also included at the close of the document. The variety of perspectives employed in this document forms a unique examination of the four Trinity Sunday cantatas that has not previously been seen in Bach scholarship.

Table of Contents

List of Figures ...... v List of Tables ...... vii Dedication ...... viii Chapter 1: Introduction and Selected Historical Background ...... 1 Cantatas and Bach ...... 1 Trinity Sunday and Scripture ...... 2 Statement of Topic and Procedure ...... 6 Limitations ...... 8 Translations ...... 8 Bibliography ...... 9 Chapter 2: Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194 ...... 10 Scoring ...... 10 Performance/Compositional History ...... 11 Libretto ...... 14 Detail of Each Movement ...... 17 Chapter 3: O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165 ...... 43 Scoring ...... 43 Performance/Compositional History ...... 44 Libretto ...... 45 Detail of Each Movement ...... 46 Chapter 4: Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding, BWV 176...... 58 Scoring ...... 58 Performance/Compositional History ...... 59 Libretto ...... 60 Detail of Each Movement ...... 62 Chapter 5: Gelobet sei der Herr, BWV 129 ...... 74 Scoring ...... 74 Performance/Compositional History ...... 75 Libretto ...... 76 Detail of Each Movement ...... 77 Chapter 6: Overall Comparison ...... 98 Scoring ...... 98

iii

Performance/Compositional History ...... 101 Libretto ...... 103 Detail of Each Movement ...... 106 Chapter 7: Summary and Conclusions ...... 116 Question 1: From what musical and textual material did Bach compose his Trinity Sunday cantatas? ...... 116 Question 2: How do the components and messages of the Trinity Sunday cantatas compare with one another? ...... 117 Question 3: How did Bach use the musical and textual components of the cantatas to communicate his intended theological/philosophical messages? ...... 118 Additional Conclusions ...... 119 Bach created only four Trinity Sunday cantatas for practical, creative, and theologically/spiritually expressive reasons...... 119 Bach made choices about instrumentation based on availability of musicians and his intention of musical/theological expression. Instruments of the oboe family were the most prominently featured wind instruments of Bach’s cantatas due to the excellent skills of Bach’s Leipzig oboists...... 121 Bach was an innovator...... 123 The Trinity Sunday cantatas reflect some of the most important features of the Jahrgänge during which they were first heard in Leipzig...... 124 The text and message were of prime importance in Bach’s cantatas...... 125 Appendix: Text translations and Scriptural Allusions ...... 127 Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194 ...... 127 O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165 ...... 138 Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding, BWV 176 ...... 144 Gelobet sei der Herr, BWV 129 ...... 148 Bibliography ...... 152

List of Figures

Figure 2.1: BWV 194-1, mm. 32-36 ...... 19 Figure 2.2: BWV 194-2, mm. 10-11 ...... 21 Figure 2.3: BWV 194-2, mm. 14-16 ...... 21 Figure 2.4: BWV 194-3, mm. 34-35 ...... 23 Figure 2.5: BWV 194-4, m. 15 ...... 23 Figure 2.6: BWV 194-5, m. 28 ...... 24 Figure 2.7: BWV 194-5, mm. 39-43 ...... 24 Figure 2.8: BWV 194-5, mm. 81-85 ...... 26 Figure 2.9: BWV 194-7, mm. 1-2 ...... 27 Figure 2.10: BWV 194-7, mm. 10-13 ...... 28 Figure 2.11: BWV 194-8, mm. 29-30 ...... 29 Figure 2.12: BWV 194-8, mm. 21-23 ...... 30 Figure 2.13: BWV 194-8, mm. 16-17 ...... 30 Figure 2.14: BWV 194-8, mm. 24-27 ...... 31 Figure 2.15: BWV 194-9, mm. 1-4 ...... 33 Figure 2.16: BWV 194-10, mm. 76-83 ...... 35 Figure 2.17: BWV 194-10, mm. 31-34 and mm. 145-148 ...... 36 Figure 2.18: BWV 194-11, mm. 6-8 ...... 38 Figure 2.19: BWV 194-11, mm. 9-11 ...... 38 Figure 2.20: BWV 194-12, mm. 12-16 ...... 41 Figure 3.1: BWV 165-1, mm. 1-2 ...... 48 Figure 3.2: BWV 165-1, mm. 9-11 ...... 48 Figure 3.3: BWV 165-1, mm. 18-24 ...... 48 Figure 3.4: BWV 165-1, mm. 45-49 ...... 49 Figure 3.5: BWV 165-2, mm. 3-6 ...... 50 Figure 3.6: BWV 165-3, mm. 1-3 ...... 51 Figure 3.7: BWV 165-3, mm. 17-20 ...... 51 Figure 3.8: BWV 165-4, mm. 5-7 ...... 52 Figure 3.9: BWV 165-4, mm. 15-16 ...... 53 Figure 3.10: BWV 165-4, mm. 20-22 ...... 53 Figure 3.11: BWV 165-4, mm. 23-24 ...... 54 Figure 3.12: BWV 165-5, mm. 1-2 ...... 55

Figure 3.13: BWV 165-5, mm. 32-35 ...... 55 Figure 4.1: BWV 176-1, mm. 1-4 ...... 63 Figure 4.2: BWV 176-3, mm. 8-16 ...... 65 Figure 4.3: BWV 176-3, mm. 59-64 ...... 65 Figure 4.4: BWV 176-3, mm. 63-72 ...... 66 Figure 4.5: BWV 176-4, mm. 12-17 ...... 67 Figure 4.6: BWV 176-5, mm. 1-16 ...... 69 Figure 4.7: BWV 176-5, mm. 74-91 ...... 70 Figure 5.1: BWV 129-1, mm. 1-6 ...... 78 Figure 5.2: BWV 129-1, mm. 19-22 ...... 82 Figure 5.3: BWV 129-2, mm. 1-16 ...... 83 Figure 5.4: BWV 129-2, mm. 44-51 ...... 84 Figure 5.5: BWV 129-2, mm. 78-86 ...... 85 Figure 5.6: BWV 129-3, mm. 1-8 ...... 86 Figure 5.7: BWV 129-4, mm. 1-8 ...... 88 Figure 5.8: BWV 129-4, mm. 24-28 ...... 88 Figure 5.9: BWV 129-4, mm. 88-92 ...... 90 Figure 5.10: BWV 129-5, mm. 1-6 ...... 91 Figure 5.11: BWV 129-5, mm. 6-16 ...... 94

List of Tables

Table 2.1: Known Performance History of BWV 194 ...... 14 Table 2.2: Movement Outline BWV 194 ...... 42 Table 3.1: Performance History of BWV 165 ...... 44 Table 3.2: Movement Outline BWV 165 ...... 57 Table 4.1: Movement Outline BWV 176 ...... 73 Table 5.1: Performance History of BWV 129 ...... 76 Table 5.2: Movement Outline BWV 129 ...... 97 Table 6.1: Scoring Comparison ...... 99 Table 6.2: Commonalities in Scoring ...... 100 Table 6.3: Performance/Compositional History Comparison ...... 102 Table 6.4: Libretto Comparison ...... 105 Table 6.5: Detail of Each Movement Comparison ...... 108

vii

Dedication

This Research Project is dedicated to my beloved life-partner David Goldstein, my parents Bob and Wanda Johnson, my mother-in-law Rochelle Goldstein, and my dear advisors

Kathleen Shannon and Mary Ferer. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by a wise, kind, and unconditionally compassionate community. This document could not have been completed without their loving support and encouragement.

viii

Chapter 1: Introduction and Selected Historical Background

Cantatas and Bach

Closely related to opera and oratorio, cantatas began in Italy as a “lyrical counterpart” to

the other dramatic genres. Entering into neighboring countries in the seventeenth century, the

genre rose to a significant point in Protestant Germany as church cantatas.1 According to his

obituary, written by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Johann Friedrich Agricola, J. S. Bach wrote five cycles of cantatas for the entire church year ‒ called Jahrgänge (plural), or Jahrgang

(singular), literally “annual series” ‒ for the churches in Leipzig between 1723 and 1750;

however, only three cycles have survived the years virtually complete.2 Bach’s cantatas of this

period represent some of the most significant musical works of Western music’s sacred

repertoire. The cantatas also present a unique look into the philosophical/spiritual mind of Bach.

Even though the theological focus for each liturgical day is annually the same, Bach created new

cantatas each year, with different spiritual themes and musical forms.

Bach arrived in Leipzig during May of 1723, to assume the role of Cantor and Music

Director for the city. He would serve as music director for Leipzig’s four churches and teacher for the students of St. Thomas’s School. One can imagine this was a challenging situation for him. He was coming to a new vibrant city, joined by his wife and children, into a situation where he was expected to “bolster the attractiveness and reputation of the city, which was well-known as a center of trade and learning.”3 He had to begin successfully, and, of course, he did. Bach

1 Alfred Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, trans. Richard D. P. Jones (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), 3. 2 Ibid., 11; Robin A. Leaver, “Jahrgang,” In Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcolm Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 245. 3 Christoph Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2000), 238.

began his tenure in Leipzig, on May 30, 1723, the First Sunday after Trinity, with a performance

of the cantata Die Elenden sollen essen (The poor shall eat), BWV 75.4 The Leipzig chronicle,

Acta Lipsiensium academic, reported about that Sunday’s music and Bach’s appointment:

On the 30th of the same, the First Sunday after Trinity, the new Cantor and Director of the Collegium musicum Mr. Johann Sebastian Bach, who has come here from the princely court at Cöthen, performed his first music, with good applause.5

Beginning with his first Sunday in Leipzig, May 30, 1723, Bach sought to present a piece

of original concerted music ‒ a cantata ‒ on each Sunday and feast day of the ecclesiastical year,

except for the Sundays that were part of the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent. During

Advent and Lent, concerted music was typically not programmed.6 Since the First Sunday after

Trinity was the beginning of Jahrgang I and the successive Jahrgänge, Trinity Sunday occurred

at the end of the annual cycle. The cantatas performed in Leipzig on Trinity Sundays are the

subject of this project. Qualities of each Jahrgang, during which the Trinity Sunday cantatas

were first performed, will be discussed in the individual cantatas’ respective chapters.

Trinity Sunday and Scripture

The focus of Trinity Sunday, the Sunday immediately following Pentecost, was to honor

the Holy Trinity, “the central doctrine of the Christian religion... that in the unity of the Godhead

there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these Three Persons being truly

distinct from one another.”7

4 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 381 5 Ibid., 384. 6 Christoph Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2000), 253-254. 7 George Joyce, "The Blessed Trinity," The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 15, (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912), http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15047a.htm (accessed September 14, 2010). Although historically, Pentecost is a related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot (God’s giving the Ten Commandments to Moses), for Christians, Pentecost also commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on Christ’s disciples following

The Epistle scripture for Trinity Sunday was Romans 11:33-368:

O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor? Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.9

The Gospel scripture was John 3:1-15:

Nicodemus Visits Jesus

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”10

the Easter resurrection. The Trinity season marks the time in the church year between the season of Easter and the Advent of Jesus’ birth. 8 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 371. Epistle scriptures are letters in the New Testament from Apostles to other Christians. Many of these epistles are attributed to Paul. In the Lutheran services for which Bach wrote his music, the Epistle reading would have taken place immediately before the Gospel reading. 9 Oremus Bible Browser, "Oremus Bible Browser: Romans 11:33-36 (The New Revised Standard Version)," June 19, 2010, http://bible.oremus.org/ (accessed September 14, 2010). 10 Oremus Bible Browser, "Oremus Bible Browser: John 3:1-15 (The New Revised Standard Version)," June 19, 2010, http://bible.oremus.org/ (accessed September 14, 2010). Gospel scriptures are writings in the New Testament that describe the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The four canonical gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Gospel reading immediately preceded the presentation of the cantata for the day. The cantata was followed by one of the central parts of the Lutheran service: the sermon.

Scholars are aware of four extant cantatas that Bach presented on Trinity Sunday: BWV

194, 165, 176, and 129. Two of the cantatas, BWV 165 and 176, were directly based on the

scripture readings as described above; BWV 129 was based on a more general hymn in praise of

the Holy Trinity. BWV 194 mentions the Holy Trinity in the middle movements of the cantata,

but it was not based on the Trinity Sunday scripture readings, nor is the Holy Trinity this

cantata’s main theological focus. The scripture on which BWV 194 was based and the hymn on

which BWV 129 was based and will be discussed more fully in Chapters 2 and 5, respectively.

Cantatas have not always been known by that name. Bach only rarely used that particular

term; instead, he preferred concerto, Stück (piece), or simply Musik. It was not until the 19th century, that Phillip Spitta and the editors of the Bach-Gesellschaft (the society that produced the first collected work of Bach) used the term “cantata” to refer to Bach’s sacred works, as well as the similar works of his “contemporaries, and predecessors.”11 By whatever name that they have

been called, these concerted vocal pieces have long been known as “’sermon music’ that sought

to teach and persuade the listener.” Placed between the Gospel reading and the Sermon in the

Lutheran services, these compositions were given a prime spot to teach the worshipers,

according to the day’s lessons.12

Bach took the responsibility of creating musical compositions for this place in worship

seriously, as can clearly be seen in his extraordinarily insightful joining of sacred music and text.

One can also see Bach’s strong commitment to nurturing his own personal faith by examining

11 Konrad Küster, “Cantata,” In Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcolm Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 82 12 Melvin P. Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1996), xi.

his own Bible commentary, which included the full text of scriptures.13 In the dedicatory epistle of the Bible volumes, the commentator, Abraham Calov, gives “an exposition of the doctrine of

Scripture: ‘Thus the Scriptures function as the sole authority for the church, not merely by means of using Scriptural words and phrases in doctrinal statements, but by believing, using, and living its message, which is divine truth itself.’”14 The markings in the commentary show that the texts

have been studied consistently by Bach, with “underlining, corrections, and marginalia [that] point to [their] continued use over a period of time;” however, the condition of the Bible volumes also indicates that they been preserved with attentive care.15 Bach used this Bible commentary regularly in his life and work, but treasured it as well. The Bible “provides strong evidence that Bach took keen interest in theological study and, hence, would have regarded the church cantata as a significant medium for theological proclamation.”16 The proof of Bach’s

theological inquiry does not come as a surprise to those who study Bach’s compositions, either as scholars or performers. Among those who are well-acquainted with his music, Bach is informally known as the “fifth evangelist.”17

Based on more than the scripture of the day or a general teaching about God, Bach’s cantatas contain deep layers of direct scripture-verse allusions as well as more general conceptual scriptural allusions (such as verbal images of the “Good Shepherd,” “flock,” or “The

13 Robin A. Leaver, J. S. Bach and Scripture: Glosses from the Calov Bible Commentary (St. Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 1985). For further investigation into this avenue of study, please refer to the other sources by Leaver cited in the bibliography. 14 Leaver, J. S. Bach and Scripture: Glosses from the Calov Bible Commentary, 161. 15 Ibid., 24. 16 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, xii; Richard L. Jeske, “Bach as Biblical Interpreter,” In The Universal Bach: Lectures Celebrating the Tercentenary of Bach’s Birthday (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1986), 84. 17 Mary Ferer, "Pre-Leipzig Cantatas," Class lecture, Music 791: The Music of J. S. Bach and Musical Life in Eighteenth-Century Germany, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 2009.

Light.”).18 This extra layer of spiritual teaching was easily communicated to those of Bach’s congregations, who, like their Christian contemporaries, were highly literate, scripturally.19 A table of scriptural allusions and translations for each movement of the Trinity Sunday cantatas can be found in the Appendix of this document.

Statement of Topic and Procedure

The focus of this project is on the four extant Trinity Sunday cantatas that Bach presented during his tenure as Cantor and Music Director for the city of Leipzig: Höchsterwünschtes

Freudenfest, BWV 194; O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165; Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt

Ding, BWV 176; and Gelobet sei der Herr, BWV 129. In this document, the four cantatas are examined individually and then compared with one another, according to specific criteria and procedures developed for this study. Specific attention is given to the philosophical/spiritual themes that Bach brings out in these works about the Holy Trinity: God, the Father, Son, and

Holy Spirit. The variety of perspectives employed in this document forms a unique examination of the four Trinity Sunday cantatas that has not previously been seen in Bach scholarship.

This study seeks to answer the following questions:

1. From what musical and textual material did Bach compose his Trinity Sunday cantatas?

2. How do the components and messages of the Trinity Sunday cantatas compare with one another?

3. How did Bach use the musical and textual components of the cantatas to communicate his intended theological/philosophical messages?

18 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, xii. 19 Michael Marissen, “Historically Informed Rendering of the Librettos from Bach's Church Cantatas,” In Music and Theology: Essays in Honor of Robin A. Leaver (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2007), 117.

In answer to these questions, the four Trinity Sunday cantatas were examined using the

most current scholarship available, by the following points of comparison:

 Movement Layout  Vocal/Instrumental Forces  Source Material and Historical Details  Libretto  Compositional Devices  Bach’s Overall Philosophical Focus

To organize this study, the chapters featuring the four cantatas and the comparison between the compositions were ordered by the date of their first performances in Leipzig and divided into the following four subsections:

 Scoring  Performance/Compositional History  Libretto  Detail of Each Movement

Limitations

As the four cantatas were examined, the writer engaged in a significant amount of

theoretical analysis. For an example, unusual chord progressions were noted and particularly

significant motivic passages were highlighted as the cantatas’ compositional devices were

explored; however, a complete theoretical analysis was not included as part of this work.

Since Joshua Rifkin’s 1981 presentation to the American Musicological Society in

Boston, a significant amount of scholarly debate has taken place regarding the number of

instrumentalists/singers Bach intended to have performing his music. Rifkin proposed that one-

to-a-part was the most fitting personnel assignment for what Bach wanted for a large amount of

his music. Following his paper’s presentation in Boston, disciples lined up behind Rifkin to

support him and detractors faced-off against him. The discussion of this element of performing

practices of Bach’s music will not be included in this project, although a sampling of sources

have been included in the bibliography for those interested in further study on the subject.

Translations

Unless otherwise noted, the word-for-word German-to-English translations presented in

the document are from Melvin P. Unger’s Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An

Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions; however, the

translations of the cantata titles are from Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, edited by

Malcolm Boyd. Richard D. P. Jones’s translations from Alfred Dürr’s The Cantatas of J. S.

Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text were also used in a few instances

when connected to specific commentary by Dürr. As part of Unger’s translations, parentheses ( ) surround words that have been added to the English translations for clarity. An additional line of

text is sometimes added following the word-for-word translation, because, at times, German translations make little sense when the original word order remains intact with the English phrase. Unger has rearranged the word order in his English translations within the parentheses to make the phrases more understandable to English-speaking audiences.

Bibliography

The study of Bach’s cantatas is blessed with a wealth of sources in print and on the

Internet about these masterpieces. Of particular note are the following exceptional authors whose works, among other excellent sources of scholarship, were used throughout this study: Carol K.

Baron, Johann Christian, Alfred Dürr, Stephen Daw, David Humphreys, Konrad Küster, Robin

A. Leaver, Aryeh Oron, David Schulenberg, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Charles Stanford Terry,

Melvin P. Unger, W. Gillies Whittaker, and Christoph Wolff.

Chapter 2: Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194

Chapter 2 describes the twelve-movement Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest (Much awaited joyful feast), BWV 194. Highlights of this chapter include the history of the cantata’s musical and textual development from congratulatory cantata to organ/church consecration cantata to Trinity Sunday cantata; scholarly associations made between dance forms / instrumental compositions and the cantata’s arias and choruses; and reference made to many of

J. S. Bach’s spiritually insightful realizations of sacred text through sacred music.

Scoring

Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, is scored for soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; a four-part chorus; and an orchestra of three oboes, bassoon, two violins, viola, organ, and basso continuo.1 The movements take the following form:

Part I

Mvmt. 1 - Chorus: SATB choir; oboes I-III, bassoon, strings, and basso continuo; B-flat major; alla breve, three-four, and alla breve time signatures

Mvmt. 2 - Recitativo: Bass solo; basso continuo; B-flat major; common time signature

Mvmt. 3 - Aria: Bass solo; oboe I, strings, and basso continuo; B-flat major; twelve-eight time signature

Mvmt. 4 - Recitativo: Soprano solo; basso continuo; G minor and E-flat major; common time signature

Mvmt. 5 - Aria: Soprano solo; strings and basso continuo; E-flat major; alla breve time signature

1 David Humphreys, "Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest," in Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcolm Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 221; Johann Sebastian Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, ed. Frieder Rempp, Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, ser. 1, vol. 31, Kantaten (Kassel, Germany: Bärenreiter, 1987), 236-259.

Mvmt. 6 - Chorale: SATB choir; oboes I-III, bassoon, strings, and basso continuo (voice parts doubled by instruments, except for oboe III, which is independent from the voices due to the range of the instrument); B-flat major; common time signature

Part II

Mvmt. 7 - Recitativo: Tenor solo; basso continuo; F major and C minor; common time signature

Mvmt. 8 - Aria: Tenor and basso continuo; G minor; common time signature

Mvmt. 9 - Recitativo Duetto: Soprano and Bass soloists; basso continuo; B-flat major and F major; common time signature

Mvmt. 10 - Aria: Soprano and Bass soloists; oboe I and II, and basso continuo; F major; three-four time signature

Mvmt. 11 - Recitativo: Bass soloist and basso continuo; B-flat major; common time signature

Mvmt. 12 - Choral: SATB choir; oboes I-III, bassoon, strings, and basso continuo (voice parts doubled by instruments, except for oboe III, which is independent from the voices due to the range of the instrument); B-flat major; three-four time signature

Performance/Compositional History

Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest was first performed on November 2, 1723, in Störmthal,

a town approximately 19 km or 12 miles southeast of Leipzig by car.2 For this performance, the

composition served as an organ/church building consecration cantata for the restored organ and

renovated church at Störmthal.3 In addition to creating and presenting the consecration cantata,

Bach also served the church in another very familiar role: as the advisor on the organ restoration project. Throughout his life, Bach was highly regarded as an organ examiner involved in many

2 W. Gillies Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1 (London: Oxford University Press, 1959), 264-265; Google, “Störmthal, Grosspösna, Deutschland to Leipzig, Deutschland,” Google Maps, http://maps.google.com/ (accessed August 25, 2010). 3 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 719-720; Stephen Daw, The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach, the Choral Works (Rutherford, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1981), 92.

organ design and restorations projects.4 If one travels to Germany today, one can still hear the organ, originally built by Zacharias Hildebrandt, at the village church in Störmthal, with the same stop list as existed when Bach examined the organ in 1723. The organ was most recently restored in 1934.5

The cantata was performed in Leipzig, seven months later, on Trinity Sunday, June 4,

1724, the last Sunday of Jahrgang I. On that Sunday, BWV 194 was paired with O heilges Geist-

und Wasserbad, BWV 165.6 With this pairing, Bach completed his first annual cycle of cantatas,

programming two cantatas or a two-part cantata for each Sunday of the church year (excluding

Advent and Lent) between May 30, 1723 and June 4, 1724.7 For this cycle, one cantata was

performed before the hour-long sermon; one was performed following the sermon.8 To

accommodate the two cantatas, plus congregational music, spoken liturgy and an hour-long

sermon, the typical Lutheran service in Leipzig lasted between three and four hours. 9 John Eliot

Gardiner suggests that only the first six movements were used on the Trinity Sunday

performances.10 BWV 194 was also performed on Trinity Sundays, June 16, 1726 and May 20,

1731. The 1726 version of the cantata shows a change in movement order, rescoring of two arias,

and the replacement of one oboe part with an obbligato organ.11 This version of the work is

4 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 142-143. 5 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 719; Loft Recordings, "Störmthal, Germany: Hildebrandt organ (1723)," The Gothic Catalog. http://www.gothic- catalog.com/St_rmthal_Germany_Hildebrandt_organ_1723_s/884.htm (accessed December 20, 2009). 6 BWV 165 will be discussed in Chapter 3 of this study. 7 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 254, 270-273. 8 Ibid., 269. 9 Tanya Kevorkian, “The Reception of the Cantata during Leipzig Church Services, 1700-1750,” in Bach’s Changing World: Voices in the Community, ed. Carol K. Baron (Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press, 2006), 176-177. 10 John Eliot Gardiner, "Bach Cantata Series: Cantatas for Trinity Sunday," Soli Deo Gloria, http://www.solideogloria.co.uk/recordings/bach_cantatas.cfm (accessed August 19, 2010). 11 Humphreys, "Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest," 221.

published in the Neue Bach Ausgabe as BWV 194, directly following the 1723 version of the

cantata.12

As was typical of many of the cantatas of Jahrgang I, Bach based BWV 194 on some of

his previously-composed works.13 The source of the original material extends back to the period

of his service as Capellmeister to the Prince of Anhalt-Cöthen (1717-1723). The specific

performance date of the original material is uncertain.14 A few extant instrumental parts give a

sketchy picture of the original work; however, it was clearly a secular congratulatory cantata, lacking the chorales that were present in the 1723 version (mvmts. 6 and 12). The early version also contained different recitatives than the 1723 composition, and a “dance-like finale.” Since no vocal parts have survived, the libretto for this work is unknown.15 The preserved music has

been published in the Neue Bach Ausgabe as BWV 194a.16 The number of verified performances

of this work is significant. Alfred Dürr hypothesizes that the numerous revisions and revivals of

this work lead one to believe that Bach may have performed his cantatas more frequently than

we can pinpoint today.17

12 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 236-259. 13 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 269. 14 Ibid., 187. 15 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 719. 16 Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 194a, ed. Alfred Dürr, Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, ser. 1, vol. 35, Festmusiken für die Fürstenhäuser von Weimar, Weißenfels und Köthen (Kassel, Germany: Bärenreiter, 1987). 17 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 719.

Table 2.1: Known Performance History of BWV 194

BWV BWV 194a BWV 194 BWV 194 BWV 194 BWV 194

Date of 1717-1723 Nov 2, 1723 June 4, 1724 June 16, 1726 May 20, 1731 performance (specific date uncertain)

Location of Cöthen Störmthal Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig performance

Purpose of Secular Church/Organ Trinity Sunday Trinity Sunday Trinity Sunday cantata congratulatory Consecration cantata cantata cantata cantata cantata

Notes Only a few Paired with Some changes, instrumental BWV 165; including the parts are extant. perhaps only Part replacement of No text has I of BWV 194 one oboe part survived. was performed with an organ obbligato

Libretto

Even though the first performance of BWV 194 serves as a musical celebration and

consecration of the organ and church building renovations at Störmthal, the surviving version of

the work seems to be more focused on a church consecration rather than an organ consecration.

The text never mentions the organ, but speaks extensively of the house of God.18 Except for the

two chorales (mvmts. 6 and 12), the librettist for the cantata is anonymous. Some historians have

theorized that Bach was the librettist as well as the composer for this work.19 The hymn writer of

movement 6, Johann Heermann (1585-1647), was a poet laureate, trained theologian, university

professor, and Lutheran pastor. Considered a very important chorale text writer for his time,

Heermann’s texts were used in over a dozen of Bach’s cantatas and other vocal works.20 Paul

Gerhardt (1607-1675), the hymn writer for movement 12, was a Lutheran pastor who served in

18 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 719. 19 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 265. 20 Aryeh Oron and Thomas Braatz, “Johann Heermann (Hymn-Writer),” Bach Cantatas Website, 2008, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Heermann.htm (accessed September 17, 2010).

Berlin and Lübben.21 A “bright star” among hymn writers, Gerhardt’s hymns “proclaim a strong trust in God’s Word.”22 Bach used Gerhardt’s texts in over twenty-five of his cantatas and vocal

works.23

Alfred Dürr succinctly describes the libretto of the cantata:

The text... celebrates the ‘newly erected sanctuary’ (no. 1), thanks God, and prays, ‘Let this house be pleasing to You’ (no. 2). It announces further that the dwelling of the Most High is full of radiance and will not be dimmed by night (no. 3). The fourth movement warns against human vanity and, since human power achieves nothing, prays for the church in the words of Solomon from I Kings 8:29, ‘that Your eyes may be open towards this house,’ and with reference to Hosea 14.2, ‘so we will render the calves of our lips.’ The fifth movement alludes to Isaiah 6.6f. in its prayer that we shall succeed in singing praises to the Lord. Part I concludes with the sixth and seventh verses of the hymn Treuer Gott, ich muß dir klagen by Johann Heermann (1630).

Part II brings no essentially new ideas, but it praises the divine Trinity (no. 7), whose presence alone brings blessing (no. 8). Textually, the most striking movement of all is the ninth, whose dialogue was perhaps suggested by a similar colloquy in the secular model, for its alternation between doubt (bass) and reassurance (soprano) is comparable with dialogues such as that of Fear and Hope in Cantata 66, which are likewise based on secular models. The other movements are concerned with the praise of God (in no. 10, after Psalm 34.8); and the work concludes with the ninth and tenth verses of Paul Gerhardt’s hymn Wach auf, mein Herz, und singe (1647/53).24

The liturgical scripture readings for the November 2, 1723 service, during which BWV

194 was first performed, were the Epistle reading, Revelation 21:2-8 (“The New Jerusalem”),

and the Gospel reading, Luke 19:1-10 (“The conversion of Zacchaeus”).25 The central point of

21 NetHymnal, “Paul Gerhardt.” http://nethymnal.org/bio/g/e/gerhardt_p.htm (accessed September 17, 2010). 22 Catherine Winkworth, “Christian Singers of Germany: Paul Gerhardt,” Calvin College Computer Science, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/winkworth/singers.gerhardt.html (accessed September 17, 2010); Harry Bartels, “Paul Gerhardt and J. S. Bach,” Evangelical Lutheran Synod, http://www.evangelicallutheransynod.org/publications/sentinel/2007/03/05Gerhard.html (accessed September 17, 2010). 23 Aryeh Oron, “Paul Gerhardt (Hymn-Writer),” Bach Cantatas Website, 2009, http://www.bach- cantatas.com/Lib/Gerhardt.htm (accessed September 17, 2010). 24 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 719-720. 25 Ibid., 715.

each scriptural text is God coming to dwell with humans, a perfect text for a service and a cantata dedicating a new church building:

Revelation 21: 2-8 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.” 26

Luke 19:1-10 Jesus and Zacchaeus He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”27

As was mentioned in the Introduction for this document, it was typical practice for librettists to include numerous scriptural allusions within their texts. Melvin P. Unger groups

26 Oremus Bible Browser, "Oremus Bible Browser: Revelation 21:2-8 (The New Revised Standard Version)," June 19, 2010, http://bible.oremus.org/ (accessed September 17, 2010). 27 Oremus Bible Browser, "Oremus Bible Browser: Luke 19:1-10 (The New Revised Standard Version)," June 19, 2010, http://bible.oremus.org/ (accessed September 17, 2010).

Bach’s cantata text scriptural allusions into four areas (please refer to the Appendix for the

cantata’s text translations and scriptural allusions):

1. literal biblical quotations 2. biblical paraphrases 3. allusions to specific biblical passages 4. allusions to general biblical themes or images28

Throughout this cantata’s text, as stated previously, the focus is on the temple of God, a sanctified space to worship the Most High; however, the composition was also presented on

Trinity Sunday. The most prominent references to the Holy Trinity are found in movement 6, the final chorale movement of Part I, and movement 7, the opening tenor recitative of Part II. Even though most of the cantata text is centered on the consecrated building of worship, the two references to the Trinity were found in the heart of the cantata, the two central movements.

Perhaps the prominent placement of these phrases strengthened Bach’s resolve to revive the work on Trinity Sunday.

Detail of Each Movement

Several movements of the cantata seem to be based on orchestral suite movement forms,

including the French overture, pastorale, gavotte, gigue, and minuet. Some scholars have

theorized that the Störmthal cantata (1723), rather than being formed from a secular

congratulatory cantata, was created from a purely instrumental piece, by dropping in new vocal parts. While several movements seem to strongly suggest the instrumental connection, the varying keys between each movement weaken that argument. (Typically, the movements within instrumental suites are in the same key.)29 One of the movements that support the theory of

28 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, xiv. 29 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 720.

instrumental origin is movement 1, a four-part choral piece, with three oboes, bassoon, strings and basso continuo, written in the style of the French overture. Dürr suggests that an original

French overture instrumental composition might have been adapted for this movement of the

cantata by inserting choral sections. This theory is based on the fact that the slow sections are

performed by the instruments alone (except for a very brief passage from the choir in the final

moments of the movement), and that the faster fugal middle section is performed by choir with

only “partially independent instruments.”30

This cantata is one of six extant Bach cantatas that make use the French overture style.

“In each case, the Overture is the initial movement of the cantata, prompted by the liturgical ordering of the cantata as the first of a yearly cycle, the first of a season, the birth of Christ, or a

general festive occasion.”31 The other cantatas of this group are O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort

(BWV 20) (First Sunday after Trinity, 1724); Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV 61) (First

Sunday in Advent, 1714); In allen meinen Taten (BWV 97) (liturgical occasion unknown, 1734);

Unser Mund sei voll Lachens (BWV 110) (Christmas, 1725); and Preise Jerusalem, den Herrn

(BWV 119) (inauguration of Leipzig town council, 1723).32

In B-flat major, this movement begins with a stately instrumental section, with dotted rhythms typical of the French overture style. The second section is a brisk choral fugue (also typical of the French overture style) based on the motivic subject that sets the opening text. The choral sopranos begin on an appropriately high F5 for the text Höchsterwünschtes (Highest wished for). Setting the text Freudenfest (joy-feast), the voices extend the first syllable of the word with rising sequential melismas (Figure 2.1). The fact that the choral parts in this section

30 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 720. 31 Jeanne Swack, “A Comparison of Bach’s and Telemann’s Use of the Overture as Theological Signifier,” Bach Perspectives 6 (2007): 100-101. 32 Ibid., 100.

mostly double the instruments supports the theory that the choral parts were dropped into an

existing instrumental piece.

Figure 2.1: BWV 194-1, mm. 32-3633

Following a full fugal setting of the remainder of the text im erbauten Heiligtume uns

vergnügt begehen läßt (in this newly erected sanctuary let us gladly celebrate), a slow instrumental section recalls the opening section’s musical material (the final piece of a three part

French overture). This musical recapitulation is shortened from the opening section - fifteen measures as compared to the opening section’s thirty-one measures. To bring the movement to a close, the chorus sings a final rousing Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, set to musical material from the slow sections of the movement.34

Movement 2, also in the key of B-flat major, is a recitative for bass soloist, with basso

continuo. This movement was adapted for the Leipzig performance with sections written in

lower tessituras than were indicated in the original version. In the Neue Bach Ausgabe edition of

BWV 194, one finds the original notes of this recitative, regularly placed in the E4 to G4 range

33 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 153. 34 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 266-267.

(very high for a bass singer), along with Bach’s lower-range note options, marked Ossia in a

normal bass tessitura.35 Several of the movements in this cantata (most notably the soprano and

bass parts in the opening movement, and other solo bass movements) contain parts written in

similar extremely high ranges; however, Bach only provided optional lower sections for two

movements in the cantata, both bass recitatives. Dürr suggests that the cantata’s unusual ranges might stem from the cantata’s connection to its secular origins.36 Secular music was tuned at a

different pitch than sacred music. The secular Kammerton (chamber pitch) tuning was a step or

even up to a minor third lower than the sacred Chorton (choir pitch) tuning, due to the fact that

organs usually could not be tuned to Kammerton.37 The tessitura of this cantata’s parts caused

Bach to perform the cantata at tief-Kammerton (deep chamber pitch) when he revived the work

in Leipzig in 1724.38 Stephen Daw notes that the high tessitura of the music was only a problem

beginning at Leipzig, because the pitch of Störmthal organ was unusually low.39

This second movement of the cantata is a secco recitative, set with notes in the typical speech-like rhythmic and melodic patterns of recitatives. The vocal contour of this recitative highlights the text that reaches up to God in prayer, yet from the place of a humble servant of

God. The first line of the text addresses the Divine with a rise up to Eb4 from F3, Unendlich großer Gott ([O] infinite great God). As a gesture of humility, the line in mm. 4-5 descends to F3

(the beginning note in the movement), und zum Gebete deiner Knechte! (And to-the prayers of- thy servants!). With a slight expansion in the rhythm compared to the surrounding notes, caused

by a beat and a half of rests before the passage and eighth and sixteenth rests interspersed

35 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 184. 36 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 720. 37 Ibid., 953. 38 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 720. 39 Daw, The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach, the Choral Works, 93.

throughout the passage, one of the main points of the recitative is brought out, Du, den kein

Haus, kein Tempel faßt ([O] thou, whom no house, no temple can-contain) (Figure 2.2).

Figure 2.2: BWV 194-2, mm. 10-1140

Finally, the request is made that the house be pleasing to God and that it serve as ein wahrer Gnadenstuhl (a true mercyseat), ein Frendenlicht (a light-of-joy). To highlight the

Gnadenstuhl, Bach harmonizes the line with a surprising C major chord in the midst of the key of B-flat major (Figure 2.3). The C major chord serves as a secondary dominant for the V chord in B-flat major (F major), to which it resolves before concluding on a B-flat major chord.

Figure 2.3: BWV 194-2, mm. 14-1641

40 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 184. 41 Ibid., 185.

The bass aria, movement 3, like movement 2, is written with a very high tessitura for the

bass voice (C4-F4); however, no lower notes are provided for this movement. In the key of B-flat

major, this movement is in 12/8 time, and is written in the style of a pastorale or siciliano.42 The instrumental accompaniment for this movement is oboe, strings, and basso continuo. In the 1726 version of the cantata, the oboe part was replaced with an obbligato organ.43 Whittaker suggests

that the exceptionally full instrumental writing in this aria reflects on the piece’s theorized

instrumental composition beginnings. He also points to an unnecessary melismatic stress in m. 6

on the word in (in) as part of the text phrase Was des Höchsten Glanz erfüllt, wird in keine Nacht

verhüllt (What the Highest One’s radiance does-fill shall in no night be-veiled or Whatever the

Highest One fills with his radiance, shall never be veiled in night) as an example of a cantata

movement that was sometimes awkwardly adapted from an instrumental composition.44 With a contrasting opinion, Daw suggests that the writing of this movement and the cantata is much more like Bach’s choral writing from Cöthen, rather than Bach’s purely instrumental compositions.45 Regardless of its possible antecedents, it is a beautiful movement -- lilting and

sweet sounding. Even though some words may be improperly stressed by the musical setting,

other words, such as erfüllt (does-fill) from the text phrase mentioned previously, Was des

Höchsten Glanz erfüllt, wird in keine Nacht verhüllt (What the Highest-One’s radiance does-fill shall in no night be-veiled), are beautifully composed with very “filling” passages. In many of the instances of this word, Bach writes extended twinings of melismas, including a full measure- long melisma on erfüllt in m. 35 (Figure 2.4).

42 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 720; Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 267. 43 Humphreys, "Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest," 222. 44 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 267. 45 Daw, The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach, the Choral Works, 93.

Figure 2.4: BWV 194-3, mm. 34-3546

Movement 4 is a secco recitative for soprano with basso continuo. This movement breaks

from the previous movements’ key patterns of B-flat major, as it begins in G minor and ends in

E-flat major. Harmonically, this movement serves as a bridge to the next movement, which is in

E-flat major. The most notable text setting in this movement occurs in m. 15 as the core point of the movement’s text is reached on the word Freude (joy) in the text phrase So legen wir in heilger Freude dir (Then lay we in holy joy for-thee). In this measure, on the word Freude, the movement’s strict syllabic setting pattern changes to a short but “joyful” melismatic pattern

(Figure 2.5).

Figure 2.5: BWV 194-4, m. 1547

Movement 5, a soprano da capo aria with strings and basso continuo, is in the key of E-

flat major, and has the rhythmic character of a gavotte.48 According to Whittaker, the extensive

opening material of the violin 1 part, which is repeated by the soprano beginning in m. 18, is much more suited to the violin than to the voice, due to the quickly moving angular leaps in both

46 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 190. 47 Ibid., 194 48 Humphreys, "Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest," 222.

parts.49 Two words stand out in this movement’s text, both in terms of their textual imagery as

well as their musical setting: Feuer and dringt (fire and penetrate) within the text phrase Und dein Feuer in uns dringt (And thy fire into us penetrate). Whether or not the instrumental music or the vocal music came first in the creation of this movement’s music, Bach uses a figure throughout the movement, both in the voice and the violin parts, to paint a vivid aural image of dancing flames (Figure 2.6).

Figure 2.6: BWV 194-5, m. 2850

For the word dringt, Bach uses extended melismatic passages, often with dramatic rises

in pitch, as the flames leap to penetrate every part of the soul (Figure 2.7).

Figure 2.7: BWV 194-5, mm. 39-4351

49 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 267. 50 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 197. 51 Ibid., 197-198.

As is typical of the contrasting sections of da capo arias, the second portion of the aria moves to a related key (C minor) and new musical material is presented. The voice part retains its gavotte-like character; however, this section’s text is set with no extended melismatic passages like those found in the first section of the aria. The most pronounced new musical element is given to the violin I part: sixteenth note flourishes that Whittaker describes as

“illustrative of the flight of the seraphim [Figure 2.8].”52 The seraphim reference, a scriptural allusion of the movement’s text, is drawn from Isaiah 6:1-7: “Above him stood the seraphim, each had six wings... And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.”53

Daß es auch in dieser Stunde That it (might) also in this hour,

Wie in Esaiae Munde As (it did) in Isaiah’s mouth,

Seiner Wirkung Kraft erhält Its (effective) power retain

Und uns heilig vor dich stellt. And us holy before thee bring. (And bring us sanctified before thee.)54

52 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 268. 53 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 677. 54 Ibid.

Figure 2.8: BWV 194-5, mm. 81-8555

Movement 6 is the closing chorale for Part I, scored for four-part chorus with three oboes parts, strings, and basso continuo. In B-flat major, this movement sets the sixth and seventh stanzas of the hymn Treuer Gott, ich muss dir klagen (1630) by Johann Heermann.56 The instruments in this chorale simply double the voice parts, with one exception. Due to the compass of the instrument, the oboe 3 part is mostly written independent of the voice parts.57

Along with the seventh movement, the tenor recitative, this chorale most significantly mentions the Holy Trinity in its text. Except for these two movements, the Trinity is not mentioned anywhere in the cantata.

Heilger Geist ins Himmels Throne, (O) Holy Ghost on heaven’s throne,

Gleicher Gott von Ewigkeit Equally God from (all) eternity

Mit dem Vater und dem Sohne, With the Father and the Son, (Coequal with the Father and the Son from all eternity,)

55 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 201. 56 Humphreys, "Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest," 222. 57 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 716.

Der Betrübten Trost und Freud! Of-the sorrowing (the) comfort and joy! (Comfort and joy of all the sorrowing!)58

Perhaps the fact that the Holy Trinity is so prominent in the center-most movements of

the cantata (or the final movement if the cantata is only performed with Part I), led to Bach’s

reviving the work for Trinity Sunday after its performance in Störmthal for the organ/church

building dedication service. Even though many chorales in Bach’s cantatas contain examples of

highly expressive chromaticism and unexpected harmonic shifts that highlight key phrases of the

texts, this chorale is set very plainly, with little chromaticism and no unusual harmonic changes.

Part II begins with a secco tenor recitative with basso continuo (movement 7). Beginning in F major and ending in C minor, this recitative’s solo part is different musically from the previous recitatives in this cantata. The difference centers on the rather extensive melismatic

passage in measure 2. After two words are sung in this cantata’s typical syllabic pattern at the

beginning of the recitative - Ihr Heiligen (Ye saints), the third word of the recitative is sung with

an expansive melisma - erfreut (rejoice) (Figure 2.9).

Figure 2.9: BWV 194-7, mm. 1-259

58 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 677-678. 59 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 208.

The remainder of the recitative returns to the syllabic presentation of the text, typical of

the previous recitatives in the cantata. As stated in the description of movement 6, this

movement’s text contains pronounced references to the Holy Trinity:

Ein Stand, so billig selig heißt, A station, which rightly blest is-called, (This station can rightly be called blessed,)

Man schaut hier Vater, Sohn und Geist. (We) behold here Father, Son, and Spirit.60

In addition to the Holy Trinity reference in these two lines, the text also refers to a place from which one can worship God: Ein Stand (A station). Since this composition originally was intended as church dedication, it is fitting that Bach calls attention to this phrase. He accomplishes this musical highlighting, by surrounding this text with the most vocal silence in the recitative (two and a half beats of rests before and after the phrase) (Figure 2.10).

Figure 2.10: BWV 194-7, mm. 10-1361

Movement 8, in the key of G minor, is a tenor aria accompanied with basso continuo in the style of a gigue.62 In this da capo aria, Bach makes a musical connection with the previous

recitative’s melismatic setting of erfreuen (rejoice) (movement 7) and the repeated melismatic

60 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 679. 61 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 208. 62 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 720.

settings of the word Freuden (as part of the phrase Freuden Ursprung [joy’s fountainhead or

joy’s source] [movement 8]). In addition to Freuden, Bach also brings out the text allein (alone) in this aria. The first two lines of the text which Bach sets in the first part of this da capo

movement are as follows:

Des Höchsten Gegenwart allein The Highest’s presence alone (Only the presence of the Most High)

Kann unsrer Freuden Ursprung sein. Can our joy’s (fountainhead) be. (Can be the source of our joy.)63

In the typical fashion of an aria, the text is repeated numerous times with different

musical realizations. Most of the repetitions bring out Freuden through melismas (Figure 2.11),

and one surprise high A4 approached from perfect fourth below (Figure 2.12).

Figure 2.11: BWV 194-8, mm. 29-3064

63 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 680. 64 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 211

Figure 2.12: BWV 194-8, mm. 21-2365

To change the emphasis of the textual phrase, Bach brings out allein in two passages. In

the first passage, allein is emphasized by a high G4 approached from a major sixth below (Figure

2.13). In the second passage, allein is set with the most florid of melismas in this movement, rising to a high A4. A measure later, allein is again approached by a large interval from below; this time the interval is a minor sixth from G3 to E-flat4 (Figure 2.14).

Figure 2.13: BWV 194-8, mm. 16-1766

65 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 210 66 Ibid.

Figure 2.14: BWV 194-8, mm. 24-2767

Movement 9, starting in the key of B-flat major and ending in the key of F major, is a

duet recitative (secco) for soprano and bass with basso continuo. Like several duet movements in

Bach’s cantatas, this recitative is a dialogue between two points of view.

In his famous sermon for the dedication of the Schloßkirche in Torgau on 5 October 1544, Martin Luther states that in a house of worship “nothing else takes place... than that our dear Lord Himself speaks to us through His Holy Word and that we, in turn, speak to Him in prayer and songs of praise.” The basic form of Christians worship is described here by Luther as a dialogical occurrence.68

Following with Luther’s views of the dialogical nature of worship, Bach’s duets frequently feature an interchange between a Divine figure and a human figure.69 In this duet, the

bass takes the role of the human, or as Melvin Unger suggests, “Doubt.” The soprano takes the

67 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 210-211. 68 Renate Steiger, “Dialogue Structures in J. S. Bach's Cantatas: The Basic Form of Worship as a Model for Artistic Shaping,” tr. Greta Konradt, BACH: Journal of the Reimenschneider Bach Institute 33, no. 2 (2002): 35. 69 Ibid., 35-37.

role of the Divine, or “Confirmation.”70 As each question or concern is raised by the bass voice, his melodic line ascends, just as a spoken question rises in pitch at the end of the sentence. The answer to each query is sung by the soprano, most often with a downward melodic pattern, and a sense of rest at the end, both in the vocal line and the basso continuo part.

As an example, note the shape of each voice’s line for the following text (Figure 2.15):

Bass: Kann wohl ein Mensch zu Gott im Himmel steigen? Can indeed a mortal to God in heaven ascend? (Can a mortal indeed ascend to God in heaven?)

Soprano: Der Glaube kann den Schöpfer zu ihm neigen. - Faith can the Creator (down) to itself (draw). (Faith can draw the creator down.)71

70 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 680. 71 Ibid.

Figure 2.15: BWV 194-9, mm. 1-472

When all the questions are finally answered, the voices sing together, with an andante arioso section, about the joy of mortal life lived in relationship with God.73 This section marks the only time an arioso section is used within a recitative in this cantata.

In movement 10, the duet continues between the soprano and bass voices with two oboes and basso continuo as instrumental accompaniment. In F major, this movement is composed in the style of a minuet with gentle pastorale writing for the oboes.74 Whittaker attributes length of the movement (324 measures long including the da capo) to the cantata’s development from an

72 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 213. 73 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 720. 74 Ibid.

instrumental minuet.75 In addition to the dance-form association, the next most outstanding musical feature of the movement is not an exceptional melismatic passage, as has been a feature in so many movements up to this point, but a long-held note in one voice, while the other voice continues rhythmic and melodic movement. This type of passage occurs several times in the movement, beginning with the passage in mm. 69-70 (to the first beat), where the bass voice holds through ersehn (has-chosen,) for two full measures and one beat, while the soprano voice continues movement by eighths and sixteenth notes. The voices then exchange held/moving notes in mm. 70-72 (to the first beat), with the soprano taking the held ersehn for two measures and a beat, while the bass voice echoes the same moving notes the soprano voice sang two measures before. The longest held-note passage occurs in mm. 77-81 (to the first eighth note). In this instance, the soprano holds a C5 on ersehn for four measures and one eighth-note, while the oboes and bass voice in alternating duets continue a moving rhythmic pattern. When the soprano finally releases her long-held note, the oboes extend the held-note passage by holding notes

(alternating between the two oboe parts) in the next two measures (Figure 2.16).

O wie wohl ist uns geschehn, O how good (it) has for-us (turned-out), (O how we have been blessed.)

Daß sich Gott ein Haus ersehn! That - God a house has-chosen!76

75 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 269. 76 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 682.

Figure 2.16: BWV 194-10, mm. 76-8377

Typical of the second section of da capo movements, there is some variance in the second section of this duet movement. Except for the key change (section two starts in F major, but eventually finishes in D minor), the greatest change lies in the vocal lines: the opening motive is a slight alteration of the opening vocal motive in section one (Figure 2.17) and the rest of the vocal material is new to the movement. The remainder of the musical material in section

77 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 221.

two is very similar to section one: the orchestral music is a repetition of section one material and the sentiment of this portion of the composition is the same as it was in the first portion of the movement (expounding on the blessings of being in God’s house).78

O wie wohl ist uns geschehn, O how good (it) has for-us (turned-out), (O how we have been blessed.)

Daß sich Gott ein Haus ersehn! That - God a house has-chosen!

Schmeckt und sehet doch zugleich, (O) taste and see indeed together, (O, both taste and see,)

Gott sei freundlich gegen euch. God is gracious to you. (How gracious God is toward you.)79

Figure 2.17: BWV 194-10, mm. 31-34 and mm. 145-14880

78 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 269. 79 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 682. 80 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 217 and 225.

In B-flat major, movement 11 is a recitative for bass with basso continuo. While the

musical characteristics of this secco recitative are very similar to other recitatives in this cantata, a significantly unusual aspect of this movement is the way that it fully prepares for the final

chorale movement. As far as musical attributes of the recitative, the melodic realization of the

text is mostly done in angular, speech-like patterns, with one melismatic figure appropriately set

for the word heilige (holy), within the first textual phrase of the movement: Wohlan demnach, du

heilige Gemeine, (Come-on, [then], thou holy congregation,). It is important that the composer

prepare the audience or congregation for the final chorale movement, because it is thought that

the congregations in Bach’s day joined the choir in singing the final chorales (due to their

familiarity with these “hymns”) and also due to the fact that the final chorale held the core of the

whole cantata’s message.81 Bach accomplished this preparation with the use of the word wohlan

(come-on). He set this word once as the first word and note in the recitative, on a low note in the phrase. Then, Bach set wohlan again as the first word in the last phrase of the recitative; however, for this instance of the word, he set it as the highest note in the phrase (an F4), and one

of the highest notes the bass sings in this cantata, with a rest directly preceding it (Figure 2.18).

One can imagine that hearing the text “Come-on!” sung on a high bass note does a good job of

waking up a dosing congregation.

Wohlan, so rüstet euch Come-on, then (clothe) yourselves

mit Geist und Gaben aus, with (the) Spirit and (his) gifts - ,

81 Tanya Kevorkian, “The Reception of the Cantata during Leipzig Church Services, 1700-1750,” 183.

Daß ihm so wohl dein Herz als auch dies Haus gefalle! That him (both) thine heart as well-as this house please! (That both thy heart and this house might be pleasing to him!)82

Figure 2.18: BWV 194-11, mm. 6-883

Bach does something very special with the last phrase of text. With the use of the highest notes in this phrase, Bach connects the symbolism of the church house to the heart’s “house,” seeming to call the congregation to make their hearts pleasing to God, with the same energy that they have put into making the church building a beautiful place (very appropriate for this composition’s first hearing - a church/organ dedication service) (Figure 2.19). With the highest notes of the phrase in italics, the phrase would read, “That him (both) thine heart as well-as this house please!” or “That both thy heart and this house might be pleasing to him!”

Figure 2.19: BWV 194-11, mm. 9-1184

82 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 683. 83 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 230. 84 Ibid.

Movement 12 brings the cantata to a close with a chorale, scored for four-part chorus

with three oboes parts, strings, and basso continuo. In B-flat major, this movement sets the ninth

and tenth stanzas of the hymn Wach auf, mein Herz, und singe by Paul Gerhardt.85 Like the chorale at the end of Part I, the instruments in this chorale simply double the voice parts, except for the oboe 3. This instrument’s part is mostly written independent of the voice parts, due to its compass.86 As a connection with the preceding bass recitative, the imagery of the “heart” as the

dwelling place for God is again presented in the final verse of the chorale. The position of this

theological lesson (of the heart-dwelling) in the final two movements of a cantata written for a

church dedication is a profound spiritual teaching for Bach’s congregations and a testament to

Bach’s own relationship with the Divine.

Verse 1 Sprich Ja zu meinen Taten, Say “Yes” to my endeavors,

Hilf selbst das Beste raten; Help, thyself, the best to-advise; (Advise me thyself so I will choose the best part;)

Den Anfang, Mittl und Ende, The beginning, middle, and end,

Ach, Herr, zum besten wende! Ah Lord, to-the best turn! (Ah Lord, make them all turn out for the best!)

Verse 2 Mit Segen mich beschütte, With (thy poured-out) blessing me cover, (Pour over me thy blessing,)

Mein Herz sei deine Hütte, (May) my heart be thy shelter, (May my heart be thy abode,)

85 Humphreys, "Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest," 222. 86 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 716.

Dein Wort sei meine Speise, (May) thy Word be my food,

Bis ich gen Himmel reise! Till I to heaven journey! 87

Unlike the chorale that concludes Part I, this chorale has some chromaticism in the finale measures of the composition that highlight the last phrases of each verse of the cantata and briefly move the key to G minor. In addition to the chromatic element, a sequence in last measures of the bass voice also paints an image of the human journey through life and to heaven, portrayed in both verses of the text. One can envision the sequences of the journey of life in this musical sequence, traveling through similar challenges (and through G minor), yet finding the way to eventual rest (and back to the “home” key of B-flat major) (Figure 2.20).

87 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 683.

Figure 2.20: BWV 194-12, mm. 12-1688

88 Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194, 234.

Table 2.2: Movement Outline BWV 194

Movement Key/Time Type Dance association or Form

Part I: 1 B-flat major / alle breve time Chorus for SATB voices with French overture; One of only signature tutti instruments six extant cantatas that employ the French overture style

2 B-flat major / common time Recitative for bass with basso Secco recitative signature continuo

3 B-flat major / twelve-eight time Aria for bass with oboe I, Pastorale or siciliano signature strings, and basso continuo

4 G minor - E-flat major / Recitative for soprano with Secco recitative common time signature basso continuo

5 E-flat major / alla breve time Aria for soprano with strings Da capo aria; Gavotte signature and basso continuo

6 B-flat major / common time Chorale, SATB with tutti Chorale with two stanzas signature instruments

Part II: 7 F major - C minor / common Recitative for tenor with basso Secco recitative time signature continuo

8 G minor / common time Aria for tenor with basso Da capo aria; Gigue signature continuo

9 B-flat major - F major / Recitative duet for soprano and Secco recitative ending with a common time signature bass with basso continuo brief andante arioso section

10 F major / three-four time Aria duet for soprano and bass Da capo aria; Minuet signature with oboes I and II and basso continuo

11 B-flat major / common time Recitative for bass with basso Secco recitative signature continuo

12 B-flat major / three-four time Chorale, SATB with tutti Chorale with two stanzas signature instruments

Chapter 3: O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165

Chapter 3 describes the six-movement O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad (O holy bath of

spirit and water), BWV 165. Highlights of this chapter include the history of the cantata’s origin

from Bach’s work in Weimar; the connection with librettist Solomo Franck, with whom Bach

collaborated on almost all of his sacred cantatas from Weimar; and a detailed description of this amazingly diverse work which used only a modest number of musicians.

Scoring

O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, is scored for soprano, alto, tenor and bass

soloists; a four-part chorus; and an orchestra of two violins, viola, bassoon, and basso continuo.1

The movements take the following form:

Mvmt. 1 - Aria: Soprano solo; strings, bassoon, and basso continuo; G major; common time signature

Mvmt. 2 - Recitativo: Bass solo; basso continuo; E minor and A minor; common time signature

Mvmt. 3 - Aria: Alto solo; basso continuo; E minor; twelve-eight time signature

Mvmt. 4 - Recitativo: Bass solo; strings, bassoon, and basso continuo; B minor and G major; common time signature

Mvmt. 5 - Aria: Tenor solo; violins I and II, and basso continuo; G major; common time signature

Mvmt. 6 - Chorale: SATB choir; strings, bassoon, and basso continuo; G major; common time signature

1 Johann Christian, "O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad," In Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcom Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 331; Johann Sebastian Bach, O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, ed. Alfred Dürr and Robert Freeman, Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, ser. 1, vol. 15, Kantaten (Kassel, Germany: Bärenreiter, 1967), 3-16.

Performance/Compositional History

O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad was first performed in Weimar on Trinity Sunday, June

16, 1715, where Bach served as concertmaster of the court cappelle.2 The cantata was repeated in

Weimar on Trinity Sunday, June 7, 1716, then again in Leipzig on the final Sunday of Jahrgang

I, Trinity Sunday, June 4, 1724.3 As mentioned previously in this document, the cantata was

paired with BWV 194 for the 1724 Leipzig performance. This cantata is similar to other

Jahrgang I cantatas (including BWV 194), in that it was a performance of a previously- composed work.4 Regarding its original performance, it is similar to other Weimar cantatas with

its modest vocal/instrumental forces and lack of a grand choral movement: four solo voices are

joined by strings, bassoon, and basso continuo (with a four-part chorus that only performs a

simple concluding chorale). The bassoon does not play its own independent part; it simply joins

the basso continuo at indicated moments.5

Table 3.1: Performance History of BWV 165

Date of June 16, 1715 June 7, 1716 June 4, 1724 performance

Location of Weimar Weimar Leipzig performance

Purpose of Trinity Sunday Trinity Sunday Trinity Sunday cantata cantata cantata cantata (paired with BWV 194)

2 Christian, "O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad," 331; Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 147. 3 Christian, "O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad," 331; Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 273. 4 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 187. 5 Christian, "O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad," 331.

Libretto

The text for the cantata, by Solomo Franck (1659-1725), was drawn from Evangelisches

Andachts-Opffer, Franck’s cycle of texts for the church year of 1715.6 The libretto for the cantata

is closely based on the Gospel reading for Trinity Sunday, John 3:1-15, with a particular focus on

Jesus’ words to Nicodemus: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter

into the kingdom of God.”7

The collaboration between Franck and Bach began in Weimar, 1714; all of Bach’s church cantatas written in Weimar (except for two) use texts written by him. In Wiemar, Franck served as consistorial secretary, librarian, and head of the numismatic collection of the city, beginning in 1701. His position was a governmental post held for generations by individuals in his family.8

In addition to his governmental role, he was also a poet, writing sacred texts that combined strophic verses with biblical passages. At 50 years old, Franck was eager to employ new principles in his cantata-text writing: to include da capo arias and recitative structures in his poetic work. It was at this juncture in his career (1714) when Bach joined forces with him to work on sacred cantatas. Bach was so taken with Franck’s work that, even beyond Weimar, in his Leipzig years, he continued to use Franck’s texts with some of his cantata projects (BWVs

70, 72, 80, and 168).9

The hymn writer for movement 6, Ludwig Helmbold (1532-1598), was a school

headmaster, a university professor, the Dean of Philosophical Faculty at the Erfurt University,

and the general-superintendent of the church school in Mühlhausen. Considered one of the

6 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 373. 7 Christian, "O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad," 331; Konrad Küster, “Franck, Solomo,” In Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcolm Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 176. 8 Küster, “Franck, Solomo,” 176-177. 9 Ibid., 177.

principal poets of his day, he was named poet laureate by Emperor Maximilian. Four of his texts

were used in Bach’s cantatas and vocal works.10

Dürr describes the libretto of BWV 165:

The rebirth from the spirit which Jesus discusses with Nicodemus is granted to the Christian in baptism (no. 1). It nullifies the “sinful birth of damned Adam’s legacy” and puts Christians into a state of grace (no. 2). Yet the covenant of grace needs to be renewed throughout my whole lifetime (no. 3). For the “old serpent’s bruise” -- that is, Adam’s Fall -- means that even the pledged baptismal covenant keeps being broken and the Christian constantly requires renewed forgiveness (no. 4). The freely versified text closes with a prayer for the realization that Christ’s Death on the Cross has brought us salvation (nos. 4 and 5). The fifth verse of the hymn Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herren by Ludwig Helmbold (1575) then follows as a confirmatory concluding chorale.

The formal structure of the text is clear and visible at a glance. Of the outer movements, no. 1 sets the theme and no. 6 unites what has been expounded and refers back to the opening. In the inner movements, reflection in a recitative is twice followed by prayer in the form of an aria. The first of these sequences, nos. 2-3, deals with baptism as the salvation of the Christian, the second, nos. 4-5, with the consecration of the baptized Christian until death. Several phrases in Franck’s text refer directly to the gospel reading: for example, “What is born of the flesh is nothing but flesh” (no. 2; John 3.6) and “Blood-red serpent’s image, lifted up on the Cross” (no. 4), which, together with “my serpent of salvation” (no. 5), may be understood with reference to John 3:14-15: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.”11

Detail of Each Movement

With O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, Bach created a series of movements that are “full

of diversity and rich in contrasts,” even with the modest forces he used to present this

composition.12 The first movement of this cantata, in G major, is an aria for soprano, with

strings, bassoon, and basso continuo. Though it is a movement featuring the soprano voice, the

instruments play an equal role, as is demonstrated immediately in the first section of the

10 Aryeh Oron, “Ludwig Helmbold (Hymn-Writer),” Bach Cantatas Website, 2006, http://www.bach- cantatas.com/Lib/Helmbold.htm (accessed September 18, 2010). 11 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 373. 12 Ibid.

composition. From mm. 1 to 9 (first beat), the instruments present a full fugal exposition,

including a redundant entry in the violin I part. Each instrumental episode also presents a four-

part fugal exposition. The soprano sings every section of this movement as an imitative duet with

violin I. From the first measure to the last, this movement is wholly polyphonic.13

In terms of textual realizations, Bach expounds with “copious vocal runs” on the words

Wasser (water), Lebens (life), and alle (all), bringing these portions of the libretto to the fore-

front of the listener’s attention (Figures 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3).14 In the final vocal phrase, a repeated textual passage from the first line of the movement, Bach highlights Geist (Spirit) in addition to

Wasser (Figure 3.4). Stephen Daw describes the lines of the soprano part as flowing water, connecting viscerally to the baptismal text.15 These key words throughout the movement are

identified in bold font, within the following text translation:

O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, O sacred Spirit- and water-bath,

Das Gottes Reich uns einverleibet Which God's kingdom for-us incorporates (Which puts God's kingdom within us)

Und uns ins Buch des Lebens schreibet! And us into-the book of life writes! {And writes our names into the book of life!}

O Flut, die alle Missetat O flood, which all iniquity

Durch ihre Wunder kraft ertränket Through its miraculous-power drowns (O flood which drowns all iniquity through its miraculous power)

13 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 373. 14 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 412. 15 Daw, The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach, the Choral Works, 60.

Und uns das neue Leben schenket! And on-us the new life bestows! (And bestows the new life upon us!)

O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad! O sacred Spirit- and water-bath!16

Figure 3.1: BWV 165-1, mm. 1-217

primary subject of the movement

Figure 3.2: BWV 165-1, mm. 9-1118

Note that the first vocal passage of this movement begins with the primary fugal subject of the movement.

Figure 3.3: BWV 165-1, mm. 18-2419

16 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 569. 17 Bach, O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, 3. 18 Ibid., 3-4. 19 Ibid., 4-5.

Figure 3.4: BWV 165-1, mm. 45-4920

Note that the last vocal passage of this movement begins with the primary fugal subject of the movement.

The second movement of the cantata is a secco recitative for bass, with basso continuo, in the keys E minor and A minor. The melodic pattern is mostly speech-like in rhythm, contour, and interval; however, like many of Bach’s early recitatives, sections of the composition almost become ariosos.21 When the texts mentions Gottes Zorn (God’s wrath), den Tod (death), and das

Verderben (perdition) brought on by the sinful nature of humans, Bach composes appropriately anguished lines with chromaticism and numerous tri-tone intervals, for the bass to sing (Figure

3.5).

Die sündige Geburt verdammter Adamserben The sin-begotten birth of-the-cursed heirs-of-Adam (The sinful nature inherited at birth by the cursed heirs of Adam)

Gebieret Gottes Zorn, den Tod und das Verderben. Gives-birth-to God's wrath, - death, and - perdition. (Brings God's wrath, death, and perdition upon us.)22

20 Bach, O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, 7-8. 21 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 373-374. 22 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 570.

Figure 3.5: BWV 165-2, mm. 3-623

(tri-tone) (tri-tone) (tri-tone)

An aria for alto, with basso continuo, is the third movement of the cantata. In E minor,

the most prominent feature of this movement is the beautifully shaped line of the basso continuo

part, with the first phrase notes repeatedly rising in the interval of a sixth.24 This shape is echoed

by the alto voice when it enters in the third measure (Figure 3.6). Whittaker aptly refers to this

brief aria as a “graceful slow gigue.”25 Perhaps Bach has set this delicate dance to bring out the freue (rejoice) in the fourth line of the text (Figure 3.7).

Jesu, der aus großer Liebe (O) Jesus, who, out-of great love,

In der Taufe mir verschriebe In (the-rite-of) baptism to-me has-pledged (In the rite of baptism pledged to me)

Leben, Heil und Seligkeit, Life. salvation, and blessedness,

Hilf, daß ich mich dessen freue Help, that I - over-this might-rejoice (Help that I might rejoice over this)26

23 Bach, O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, 9. 24 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 374. 25 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 413. 26 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 570-571.

Figure 3.6: BWV 165-3, mm. 1-327

Figure 3.7: BWV 165-3, mm. 17-2028

The second recitative for bass, movement 4, is mentioned as the highlight of this cantata by several Bach scholars.29 This recitative is accompanied by the full company of instruments: strings, bassoon, and basso continuo. Unlike the first recitative in this cantata, its melodic pattern repeatedly varies between speech-like sections and arioso passages at an adagio-marked tempo.

Not only does the vocal line include several melismas (on hochheiliges Gotteslamm [Most holy

Lamb of God], Schlangen [serpent], and gläubig [believing]), but the instruments as well break from their sustained notes to play expressive lines, particularly as part of the realization of the

27 Bach, O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, 9. 28 Ibid., 10. 29 Daw, The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach, the Choral Works, 60; Christian, "O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad," 331; Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 413-414.

text hochheiliges Gotteslamm.30 The importance of this textual phrase is also highlighted by the most extended melisma of the movement given to bass voice, simultaneous with the beginning of the arioso section (at the slow tempo of adagio) (Figure 3.8). For the full translated text of the cantata, please see the Appendix.

Figure 3.8: BWV 165-4, mm. 5-731

The “writhing of the snake” (der alten Schlangen Stich - “the ancient serpent’s sting”) that represents the first sin from the Garden of Eden is beautifully portrayed in mm. 15-16

(Figure 3.9).32

30 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 374. 31 Bach, O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, 11.

Figure 3.9: BWV 165-4, mm. 15-1633

When a phrase about “the cross” is sung in mm. 20-21 (das an dem Kreuz erhöhet, das

alle Schmerzen stillt “which on the cross hath-been-raised, which all suffering doth-still”), the

Violin I responds with a touching passage in mm. 21-22 (Figure 3.10).

Figure 3.10: BWV 165-4, mm. 20-2234

In the last moments of the movement with the text wenn alle Kraft vergehet (when all

strength hath-vanished), Bach powerfully portrays the powerlessness experienced by the

believer. The vocal line descends to the lowest note in the recitative (G2) and the basso continuo

is instructed to only play the bass notes (without chords). After playing a tender passage on the

penultimate measure, the upper strings are silent in the final measure, leaving only the single

32 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 414. 33 Bach, O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, 12. 34 Ibid., 12.

basso continuo note, G2.35 All is exhausted and all other parts disappear, except for the lone bass note in the continuo (Figure 3.11).

Figure 3.11: BWV 165-4, mm. 23-2436

Bach used this same technique of leaving only a single note in the final measure in the alto aria “Esurientes implevit bonis” (Magnificat), at which point “the rich are sent empty away.”37

Movement 5 is an aria for tenor, joined by the two violin parts in unison, and the basso continuo. The violin part serves as the key figure in this movement. It winds and twists up and down in third- and fourth-duplets, as a “serpent” inspired by the line of the text daß du mein

Heilschlänglein seist (that thou my serpent-of-Salvation art) (Figure 3.12). This serpent is not the temptation figure from the Garden of Eden, but is the healing symbol of Christ, based on a

35 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 414. 36 Bach, O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, 12. 37 Christian, "O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad," 332.

passage from Numbers 21:9: “Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent

bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.”38

Figure 3.12: BWV 165-5, mm. 1-239

The structure of this movement is as follows: Ritornello A A B B1 Ritornello. Once the

tenor begins singing, he proceeds with practically no interruption until all of his part in this movement is sung. The instruments begin and end the movement alone.40 Whittaker notes a very

special moment in the text when “the emotional intensity of the joy of the new birth [through the

soul- and spirit-healing of Jesus] is so great that the singer, on the word Leben (heile, Jesu, Seel'

und Geist, daß ich Leben finde - “save, Jesu, soul and spirit, that I life [may] find”) must needs

leap upwards twice to the extent of a ninth [Figure 3.13].” 41

Figure 3.13: BWV 165-5, mm. 32-3542

38 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 414; Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 572. 39 Bach, O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, 13. 40 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 374. 41 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 415. 42 Bach, O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, 15

The closing chorale, movement 6, is a setting of stanza five from Ludwig Helmbold’s hymn Nun laßt uns gott dem Herren.43 With a final indirect connection to the Trinity, it begins by recounting three of the key sacraments of Christian life: Sein Wort, sein Tauf, sein Nachtmall

(His Word, His Baptism, His Supper). Continually in the key of G major throughout the chorale, this movement is “very simple, of heavenly peace and contentment;” it has no chromaticism or unusual harmonic changes.44 Just as the text describes the three sacraments as a protection from allen Unfall (all calamity), the chorale setting portrays utter peacefulness through its simple harmony and melody.

Sein Wort. sein Tauf, sein Nachtmahl His Word, his baptism, his supper

Dient wider allen Unfall. Serves to-counter all calamity;

Der Heilge Geist im Glauben The Holy Ghost in faith (Through our faith the Holy Ghost)

Lehrt uns darauf vertrauen. Teaches us in-this to-trust. (Teaches us to believe this.)45

43 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 373. 44 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 415. 45 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 573.

Table 3.2: Movement Outline BWV 165

Movement Key/Time Type Special Notes

1 G major / common time Aria for Soprano with tutti Wholly polyphonic; each signature instruments instrumental episode is a full fugal exposition.

2 E minor - A minor / common Recitative for bass with basso Secco recitative time signature continuo

3 E minor / twelve-eight time Aria for alto with basso “Graceful slow gigue”46 signature continuo

4 B minor - G major / common Recitative for bass with tutti Accompagnato recitative; time signature instruments continually varies between speech-like sections and arioso passages; very expressive instrumental writing

5 G major / common time Aria for tenor with Violins 1/II Unison violins have a serpent signature (in unison) and basso continuo motive throughout

6 G major / common time Chorale, SATB with tutti Simple, peaceful chorale signature instruments setting

46 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 413

Chapter 4: Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding, BWV 176

Chapter 4 describes the six-movement Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding (The heart is

deceitful above all things), BWV 176. Highlights of this chapter include an examination of the

librettist for this cantata, Christiane Mariane von Ziegler, with whom Bach collaborated on the

final nine cantatas of Jahrgang II; and an observation of the ways that Bach used the forms and the orchestration/voicing of each part of this composition to bring forward his intended message for each movement and for the cantata as a whole.

Scoring

Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding, BWV 176, is scored for soprano, alto, and bass soloists; a four-part chorus; and an orchestra of two oboes, oboe da caccia, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.1 The movements take the following form:

Mvmt. 1 - Chorus: SATB choir; oboes I and II, oboe da caccia, strings, and basso continuo; C minor; common time signature

Mvmt. 2 - Recitativo: Alto solo; basso continuo; G minor; common time signature

Mvmt. 3 - Aria: Soprano solo; strings and basso continuo; B-flat major; alla breve time signature

Mvmt. 4 - Recitativo: Bass solo; basso continuo; F major and G minor; common time signature and three-four time signature

Mvmt. 5 - Aria: Alto solo; oboes I and II, oboe da caccia, and basso continuo; E-flat major; three-eight time signature

Mvmt. 6 - Choral: SATB choir; oboes I and II, oboe da caccia, strings, and basso continuo; F minor and C minor; common time signature

1 David Schulenberg, "Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding," In Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, edited by Malcom Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 164; Johann Sebastian Bach, Es ist ein troztig und verzagt Ding, BWV 176, ed. Alfred Dürr and Robert Freeman, Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, ser. 1, vol. 15, Kantaten (Kassel, Germany: Bärenreiter, 1967),18-36.

Performance/Compositional History

BWV 176 was first performed in Leipzig on Trinity Sunday, May 27, 1725, the last

Sunday of Jahrgang II.2 Like many of the Leipzig cantatas, Bach uses a full complement of

instruments in this composition. The typical orchestration that Bach used in Leipzig was a full

four-part string quartet, usually with a wind ensemble of three trumpets and timpani, or two

oboes and recorders, plus basso continuo.3 For the ensemble in this cantata, Bach used an oboe

group in addition to the strings, along with the curved tenor-ranged oboe, the oboe da caccia.

The oboe da caccia was a favored instrument of Bach’s, employed in over twenty of his cantatas.4

In Jahrgang I, Bach drew upon previously-composed cantatas to fill out the roster of the annual cycle, in addition to some new compositions written for Leipzig.5 For Jahrgang II,

beginning on the first Sunday after Trinity, June 11, 1724, Bach set out to compose a new cantata for each non-Lenten Sunday of the liturgical year, each using the same librettist, and each based

on a single hymn-text for all movements in the cantata. Even though the librettist with whom he

began working on this cycle is unknown, it is clear that something happened to the librettist in

the middle of the year, because the chorale cantatas ceased after the feast of the Annunciation,

March 25, 1725. Scholars theorize that the librettist for the first part of Jahrgang II was Andres

Stübel, “conrector emeritus of the St. Thomas School, a man of solid theological background (if

somewhat nonconformist views) and ample poetic experience.”6 Historians have established this

theory because of Stübel’s obvious relationship with Bach, through their work with St. Thomas

2 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 278. 3 Ibid., 273. 4 Reine Dahlqvist, “Taille, Oboe da Caccia and Corno Inglese,” The Galpin Society Journal 26 (May 1973), 58-60. 5 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 269. 6 Ibid., 275-278.

School, and the occasion of Stübel’s death on January 27, 1725. Stübel’s death date would have coincided with the cessation of texts by the first librettist of Jahrgang II.7

Cantatas with varying origins and structures were used in the cycle of cantatas from

Easter Sunday, April 1, 1725, through Misericordias Domini Sunday, April 15, 1725; however, beginning with Jubilate Sunday, April 22, 1725, and continuing through Trinity Sunday, May 27,

1725, Bach chose a new librettist for his cantatas. For this period of nine cantatas, he collaborated with “the young Leipzig poet Christiane Mariane von Ziegler, daughter of the former burgomaster Franz Conrad Romanus.”8

Libretto

Christiane Mariane von Ziegler (1695-1760) was born into a wealthy and influential

family in Leipzig. Her father was installed as one of Leipzig’s majors in 1701; however he was

“arrested without stated charges in 1705 and imprisoned without trial until his death in 1746.”

The reason for his imprisonment is not known. 9 By the time that Bach began his collaboration

with Zeigler, she had been widowed twice and had also lost her children. Around 1722, while

Ziegler was again living in her parent’s home in Leipzig, she began to become greatly involved

in the arts. “She wrote poetry and played the clavier, lute, and transverse flute.”10 She published

her own poetry in 1728 and 1729, and in 1728, she was named poet laureate by the Wittenberg

philosophy faculty. She married once more in 1741. Even though she was virtually unknown as a poet when she began her work with Bach, Ziegler eventually became “one of Germany’s

7 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 278. 8 Ibid., 277-279. 9 Mark A Peters, A Woman's Voice in Baroque Music: Mariane Von Ziegler and J. S. Bach (Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2008), 2. 10 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 33.

preeminent poets and one of its most outspoken advocates for women’s rights.”11 As an example of one of Ziegler’s writings that spoke out for women, her Moralische und vermischte Send-

Schreiben (1731) argued that women “possessed the same patience and diligence on which men prided themselves, and [that] if a woman studied from her youth she could achieve the same levels of learning as a man.”12

The choice of Zeigler as his librettist for the nine works was remarkable, in this era when society prohibited “women’s public self-expression, and... women’s speaking in the church.”13

At the time of their collaboration, Ziegler had no published writings as a poet, she was ten years younger than Bach (Ziegler was 30), she was not connected to the church in any official way, and she had “no formal theological training.”14 The exact details of their work together are not known; however, Hans-Joachim Schulze theorizes that they were “introduced by a mutual friend,

Maria Elisabeth Taubert. The first of the nine cantatas [in which their efforts were joined] was performed just a few days after the birth of Bach’s son Christian Gottlieb, for whom Taubert served as godmother.”15 What is known about the librettos for BWV 176 and the other eight cantatas (BWV 103, 108, 87, 128, 183, 74, 68, and 175) is that Bach modified every text.

“Evidently, he was intent on tightening the substance of the text, and in doing so he shows a striking tendency to lists of words without conjunctions, for example Teufel, Tod (devil, death) in place of Sünd und Tod (sin and death).”16 Paul Gerhardt was the hymn writer for movement 6.

Please see in the Libretto section of Chapter 2 for more information about Gerhardt.

11 Peters, A Woman's Voice in Baroque Music: Mariane Von Ziegler and J. S. Bach, 3-4. 12 Ibid., 11. 13 Ibid., 4. 14 Ibid., 2. 15 Ibid., 3. 16 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 33.

The libretto for BWV 176 was closely based on the conversation between Jesus and

Nicodemus, a “ruler of the Jews,” found in the Gospel reading for Trinity Sunday, John 3:1-15.

Ziegler seems particularly interested in the detail that Nicodemus would only meet Jesus at

night.17

Here she finds a general human characteristic: “The heart is a perverse and desperate thing; who can fathom it?,” says the prophet Jeremiah (17:9), and the poet prefaces her text with these words -- slightly modified -- as a motto. Unlike the days of Joshua, when the sun stood still at Gibeon till the hoards of the Amorites had been vanquished (Joshua 10:12), Nicodemus longs for night to come (no. 2). The following aria first takes up the same ideas and then proceeds with the words of Nicodemus: no one could do the signs that Jesus does unless God were with him. The second recitative-aria pair gives an indication of the comfort that the fearful Christian derives from faith in Jesus. Bach himself lends still greater weight to this reflection by adding to the recitative words of the poet a paraphrase of John 3:16: “For all who but believe in You shall not be lost.” With praise and thanks for this promise, the aria leads to the concluding chorale, the eighth verse of the hymn Was alle Weisheit in der Welt by Paul Gerhardt (1653).18

Detail of Each Movement

Typical of the Leipzig cantatas, BWV 176 begins with a grand choral movement with full

orchestration.19 In C minor, this movement “opens with a defiant, indignant presentation,... a

terse, four-part choral fugue set against a string fanfare reminiscent of Brandenburg No. 5.”20

This description is only fitting for the first portion of the fugal subject. After the peak of the line is reached with an upwards-sweeping melisma on trotzig (obstinate) the subject “melts and sighs” as verzagt (disheartening) and the remainder of the textual phrase is sung. “This ascending and descending contour persists throughout the fugue, ...without ritornellos, the voices doubled

17 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 376. 18 Ibid. 19 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 273. 20 Gardiner, "Bach Cantata Series: Cantatas for Trinity Sunday."

by the three oboes while the strings alternate between the vigorous Brandenburg 5 motif and plaintive, sustained counterpoint [Figure 4.1].”21

Es ist ein trotzig und verzagt Ding It is an obstinate and disheartening thing

um aller Menschen Herze. about all human hearts. (about the human heart.)22

Figure 4.1: BWV 176-1, mm. 1-423

21 Gardiner, "Bach Cantata Series: Cantatas for Trinity Sunday." 22 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 609 23 Johann Sebastian Bach, Es ist ein troztig und verzagt Ding, BWV 176, ed. Alfred Dürr and Robert Freeman, Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, ser. 1, vol. 15, Kantaten (Kassel, Germany: Bärenreiter, 1967), 19.

In G minor, the second movement, a brief secco alto recitative with basso continuo,

presents another duality: imagery of Nicodemus as night with Jesus as day.24 This particular

duality continues in movement three, a soprano da capo aria, with strings and basso continuo, as the light of Jesus confronts the eager but fearful and “clouded” human being. In B-flat major, this movement has a gavotte-like character. 25

Dein sonst hell beliebter Schein Thy normally bright beloved radiance (Thy beloved radiance, normally so bright,)

Soll für mich umnebelt sein, Must for me beclouded be, [Nebel = fog]26

Throughout the movement, a dance-like triplet motive is expressed in the violin I part

(Figure 4.2).

24 Gardiner, “Bach Cantata Series: Cantatas for Trinity Sunday.” 25 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 377. 26 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 610.

Figure 4.2: BWV 176-3, mm. 8-1627

Perhaps this figure represents the spirit of God, since the only time a similar motive is

present in the voice part, although briefly present, is on the textual phrases Gottes Geist (God’s

Spirit) and göttlich auserlesen (divinely chosen) (Figure 4.3).

Figure 4.3: BWV 176-3, mm. 59-6428

The association of the triplet motive with the Spirit of God is most apparent while the phrase Gottes Geist muß auf ihm ruhn (God's Spirit must upon him be-resting or God's Spirit must be resting upon him) is being sung. On the note for ruhn, held by the soprano for six and a half measures in one passage and four and a half measures in another passage, the triplet motive

(God’s Spirit) continues to dance (or “rest”) in the violin I part, above, at the same pitch of, and below the singer’s note (Figure 4.4).

27 Bach, Es ist ein troztig und verzagt Ding, BWV 176, 27. 28 Ibid., 31.

Figure 4.4: BWV 176-3, mm. 63-7229

Movement 4 in F major and C minor, a secco recitative for bass with basso continuo, includes a prominent example of Bach’s modifications of Ziegler’s libretto. This movement ends

with a textual passage not found in Ziegler’s libretto, a paraphrase of the Gospel verse

immediately following the scripture for Trinity Sunday: John 3:16. The text has been altered from scripture to speak from Nicodemus’s perspective in conversation with Jesus:30

29 Bach, Es ist ein troztig und verzagt Ding, BWV 176, 31. 30 Schulenberg, "Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding," 164; Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 377; W. Gillies Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 2 (London: Oxford University Press, 1959), 228.

Weil alle, die nur an dich glauben, nicht verloren werden. For all, who just in thee believe, not lost shall-be. (For all who will just believe in thee, shall not perish.)31

The first part of the movement is realized in the typical speech-like pattern of a recitative,

in common-time; however, when the text reaches the John 3:16 passage, the music becomes an

extended andante arioso in three-four time. The arioso is highly expressive in both the bass and

the basso continuo parts, with extended melismas on verloren (lost) that are also present in the basso continuo part. The melismas are based on the ostinato pattern in the continuo (Figure

4.5).32

Figure 4.5: BWV 176-4, mm. 12-1733

The final aria of the cantata, movement 5, is written for alto with oboes I and II, oboe da

caccia, and basso continuo. In E-flat major and in three-eight time, this movement has several

31 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 611. 32 Schulenberg, "Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding," 164; Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 377. 33 Bach, Es ist ein troztig und verzagt Ding, BWV 176, 32.

qualities in common with the first and third movements of the cantata. In general, the fifth

movement has a dance-like quality, similar to the first aria, movement three. This movement’s

dance is inspired by the encouraging words of the text, calling the believer to “rouse” (emuntert) and “be-renewed” (erholet) because of the promises that Jesus makes: daß ich durch den

Glauben den Himmel gewinne (that I through - faith heaven obtain or that I shall obtain heaven by faith).34

Like the first movement of the cantata, both in shape and in motivation, the opening

theme of this aria is directly inspired by the text. The theme rushes upward on emuntert euch

(rouse yourselves) and descends chromatically by half-steps on furchtsam und schüchterne

(fearful and diffident) (Figure 4.6).35 The opening theme is first introduced by the oboes in

unison.

Emuntert euch, furchtsam und schüchterne Sinne, Rouse yourselves, (O) fearful and timid faculties,

Erholet euch, höret. was Jesus verspricht: Be-renewed; hear, what Jesus promises:

Daß ich durch den Glauben den Himmel gewinne. That I through - faith heaven obtain. (That I shall obtain heaven by faith.)36

34 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 377. 35 Ibid.; Schulenberg, "Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding," 164. 36 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 611.

Figure 4.6: BWV 176-5, mm. 1-1637

The opening theme reappears in the instrumental parts during the last of the three contrasting sections of the aria. While this theme is played again, the voice has turned to

“jubilant diatonic melismas on Loben (extolling) and preisen (praise)” to the Trinity

(Figure 4.7).38

Wenn die Verheißung erfüllend geschicht. When the promise (fulfillment) (achieves), (When the promise is finally fulfilled,)

37 Bach, Es ist ein troztig und verzagt Ding, BWV 176, 33. 38 Schulenberg, "Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding," 164.

Werd ich dort oben Shall I up-there

Mit Danken und Loben With giving-of-thanks and extolling

Vater, Sohn und Heilgen Geist Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Preisen, der dreieinig heißt. Praise, who triune is-called. (Up there in heaven I shall praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost--who is called the triune God--with giving of thanks and extolling.)39

Figure 4.7: BWV 176-5, mm. 74-9140

senza l’oboe I, II

39 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 611-612. 40 Bach, Es ist ein troztig und verzagt Ding, BWV 176, 34-35.

David Schulenberg and John Eliot Gardiner theorize that the three oboe parts, playing in unison during all the ritornello passages of the movement, represent the sacred Three-In-One

(Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) of the Holy Trinity.41 During the vocal passages, Bach has indicated for only the oboe da caccia to play. A footnote in the Neue Bach Ausgabe indicates that this direction was added after the original version was completed and performed.42

Whittaker postulates that this reduction in parts might have been necessary due to the overwhelming sound of the unison oboes trying to balance a single alto voice.43

With the instruments of the ensemble doubling the choral parts, the cantata ends with a four-part chorale of the eighth stanza of Paul Gerhardt’s Was alle Weisheit in der Welt.44 The

41 Schulenberg, "Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding," 164; Gardiner, "Bach Cantata Series: Cantatas for Trinity Sunday." 42 Bach, Es ist ein troztig und verzagt Ding, BWV 176, 33. 43 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 2, 229. 44 Schulenberg, "Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding," 164.

melody of the chorale was originally part of Luther’s hymn Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam.45

In the process of the chorale, the harmonization of the F dorian-mode melody moves from E-flat major, the key of the previous movement, back to C minor, the key of the cantata’s opening movement.46 Even though the key areas of the chorale seems a bit fluid due to the necessity of harmonizing with a modal tune, the text of the movement is a straight-forward hymn of praise to

God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Auf daß wir also allzugleich So that we thus altogether (Our goal is that we thus altogether)

Zur Himmelspforten dringen To-the gates-of-heaven may-press

Und dermaleinst in deinem Reich And hereafter in thy kingdom

Ohn alles Ende singen, Without - end (may) sing,

Daß du allein König seist, That thou alone king art, (That thou alone art king,)

Hoch über alle Götter, High above all gods,

Gott Vater, Sohn und Heilger Geist, God (the) Father, Son and Holy Ghost,

Der Frommen Schutz und Retter, Of godly-men (the) refuge and Savior,

Ein Wesen, drei Personen. One being (in) three persons.47

45 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 377. 46 Schulenberg, "Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding," 164. 47 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 612.

Table 4.1: Movement Outline BWV 176

Movement Key/Time Type Special Notes

1 C minor / common time Chorus for SATB voices with Grand choral movement; four- signature tutti instruments part fugue with strings parts similar to Brandenberg Concerto No. 5

2 G minor / common time Recitative for alto with basso Brief secco recitative signature continuo

3 B-flat major / alla breve time Aria for soprano with strings Da capo aria; gavotte-like signature and basso continuo

4 F major and G minor / common Recitative for bass with basso Secco recitative with extended and three-four time signatures continuo arioso section to accommodate text added most likely by Bach

5 E-flat major / three-eight time Aria for alto with oboes I/II, In three contrasting parts; signature oboe da caccia, and basso oboes played in unison during continuo the ritornello sections; dance- like; theme similar to musical subject in mvmt. 1

6 F minor and C minor / common Choral, SATB with tutti Four-part chorale setting; key time signature instruments transitions back to key of cantata’s first mvmt.

Chapter 5: Gelobet sei der Herr, BWV 129

Chapter 5 describes the five-movement Gelobet sei der Herr (Praised be the Lord, my

God), BWV 129. Highlights of this chapter include an examination of this composition’s

purpose as a replacement cantata for the non-chorale cantata BWV 176; a brief historical study

of the librettist of the cantata, Johann Olearius; and an analysis of Bach’s brilliant use of

instrumentation and motivic writing to set Olearius’s hymn in praise of the Holy Trinity.

Scoring

Gelobet sei der Herr, BWV 129, is scored for soprano, alto, and bass soloists; a four-part

chorus; and an orchestra of three trumpets, timpani, flauto traverso, two oboes, oboe d’amore

(oboe d’amore player also plays oboe II), two violins, viola, organ, and basso continuo.1 The movements take the following form:

Mvmt. 1 (Verse 12) - Chorus: SATB choir; trumpets I-III, timpani, flauto traverso, oboes I-II, strings, organ, and basso continuo; D major; common time signature

Mvmt. 2 (Verse 2) - Aria: Bass solo; organ and basso continuo; A major; three-eight time signature

Mvmt. 3 (Verse 3) - Aria: Soprano solo; flauto traverso, violin I solo, organ, and basso continuo; C minor; alla breve time signature

Mvmt. 4 (Verse 4) - Aria: Alto solo; oboe d’amore, organ, and basso continuo; G major; six-eight time signature

Mvmt. 5 (Verse 5) - Chorale; SATB choir; trumpets I-III, timpani, flauto traverso, oboes I-II, strings, organ, and basso continuo; D major; common time signature

1 David Humphreys, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott," In Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcolm Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 188; Johann Sebastian Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, ed. Alfred Dürr and Robert Freeman, Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, ser. 1, vol. 15, Kantaten (Kassel, Germany: Bärenreiter, 1967), 38-84. 2 The verse numbers indicate the verse of librettist Johann Olearius’s hymn on which the cantata is based. See the libretto section of this chapter for more information.

Performance/Compositional History

The date of the first performance of BWV 129 is uncertain. It was most likely first

performed in Leipzig on Trinity Sunday, June 16, 1726; however, it is also possible that it was first heard on Reformation Sunday, October 31, 1726.3 The cantata was also performed in

Leipzig on Trinity Sunday, June 8, 1732.4 The chorale cantata BWV 129 was written

“retrospectively for the cycle of 1724-25,” (Jahrgang II) along with other cantatas that were

intended to “replace the non-chorale-based compositions.”5 In Chapter 3 of this document, a

description was given of the cessation in the cycle of chorale cantatas after the feast of the

Annunciation, 1725. At that point, the librettist Christiane Mariane von Ziegler was called upon

to supply librettos for the final nine cantatas of the annual cycle, including the Trinity Sunday

cantata composed for 1725, BWV 176.6 BWV 129 was written to replace BWV 176.7 Even though Bach wrote other cantatas to complete the chorale cantata cycle begun as Jahrgang II, according to current scholarship, the cycle was never completed.8

Like many of the orchestrations of Bach’s Leipzig years, this cantata has a full ensemble,

of strings, brass, timpani, woodwinds, organ, and basso continuo.9 Included in that group is the

flauto traverso, an instrument Bach began regularly using in his compositions in the spring of

1724, and one of Bach’s favorite instruments, the oboe d’amore.10 For the bulb-belled, sweet-

sounding oboe d’amore, Bach wrote a concerto, he featured it many of his major works,

3 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 379; Humphreys, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott," 188; Christoph Wolff, et al, "Bach," Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/40023pg10 (accessed September 8, 2010). 4 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 280. 5 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 379. 6 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 275-281. 7 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 378-379. 8 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 280. 9 Ibid., 273. 10 Ibid., 274.

including the beautiful “Quia respexit” movement from Magnificat in D in which the oboe

d’amore is paired with a solo soprano, and he included it in many of his secular and sacred

cantatas.11

Table 5.1: Performance History of BWV 129

Date of June 16, 1726 October 31, 1726 June 8, 1732 performance (alternate possible first performance date)

Location of Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig performance

Purpose of Trinity Sunday Reformation Sunday Trinity Sunday cantata cantata cantata cantata

Libretto

As one of the replacement cantatas written to fill in the gaps of the chorale-cantata cycle

of Jahrgang II, Gelobet sei der Herr, BWV 129, was based on a single hymn by Johann

Olearius, published in Olearius’s Christliche Bet-Schule (Leipzig, 1665).12 The libretto of the

cantata is not a paraphrase of Olearius’s words; it is his exact text, word-for-word. Each stanza of

Olearius’s hymn is set for each movement in the cantata.13

Johannes Olearius (1611-1684) was born in Halle, the son of the pastor of St. Mary’s

Church. At the University of Wittenberg, Olearius earned his M.A. (1632), and his D.D. (1643),

and also served as a lecturer and as an adjunct member of the philosophical faculty. He was the

11 Wolff, "Bach," Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online. 12 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 379; Liberty Fund, Inc., "Online Library of Liberty - Cantata XXIX: Gelobet sei der Herr, Trinity Sunday (1732)," The Online Library of Liberty, http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=2056&chapter=197301&layout=html &Itemid=27 (accessed September 9, 2010). 13 Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, 280; Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 377-379.

chief court preacher and private chaplain at Halle, appointed by Duke August of Sachsen-

Weissenfels. Olearius was the author of a whole-Bible commentary, as well as numerous

devotional works. For one of the largest and most significant German hymn books of the 17th century, Geistlich Singe-Kunst (Leipzig, 1671), Olearius served as one of the compilers. This collection contained more than 302 hymns by Olearius.14

The text of the cantata is perfectly suited to Trinity Sunday; the cantata is a “song of

praise to the triune God.”15

...verse 1 praises the Creator, God Himself, verse 2 the Son, verse 3 the Holy Spirit, and verses 4 and 5, which are united in substance, the Trinity. However, specific references to the readings for the day are absent, and since he set the text unaltered Bach made no attempt to introduce any.16

The straightforward jubilant text, with the first four stanzas/movements all beginning

with the same opening line Gelobet sei der Herr (Blessed be the Lord), directly affects the bright

musical content and uncomplicated form of the cantata: chorus, aria, aria, aria, and chorale.

There are no recitatives and no da capo arias.17

Detail of Each Movement

The opening movement, with text that is stanza one from Olearius’s hymn, is composed

for four-part chorus, with the full orchestra: three trumpets, timpani, flute, two oboes, strings, and basso continuo. In D major, this movement begins as a bright and festive concertato for strings and woodwinds, with interjections from the trumpets and timpani.18 This music is

14 John Julian, “Olearius, Johannes” from Dictionary of Hymnology (1907), Hymnary.org, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI, http://www.hymnary.org/person/Olearius_J (accessed September 6, 2010). 15 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 379. 16 Ibid. 17 Humphreys, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott," 188. 18 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 379.

forthright and grand, in praise of the first Person of the Holy Trinity: God, the Father

(Figure 5.1).

Figure 5.1: BWV 129-1, mm. 1-619

19 Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, 39-40.

The sopranos of the chorus sing the cantus firmus ‒ the anonymously composed melody

O Gott, du frommer Gott (O God, Thou faithful God) ‒ while the lower voices (Alto, Tenor, and

Bass) join with material that is unconnected thematically to the cantus firmus, but imitative within the lower three parts, freely polyphonic, or chordal.20 Likewise, the instruments also

20 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 379; Humphreys, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott," 188; Catherine Winkworth, trans., “Online Library of Liberty - O Gott, du frommer Gott,” The Online Library of Liberty, http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile= show.php%3Ftitle=2057&chapter=197699&layout=html&Itemid=27 (accessed October 1, 2010); Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 440.

present music that is thematically independent from the soprano part’s cantus firmus, but

motivically connected to the lower three voice parts (Figure 5.2). 21 Most likely, Bach’s

congregations knew the cantus firmus tune, as well the text that was usually associated with the

tune by the same name. Like the cantatas’ scriptural allusions, mentioned previously in this

document, the congregations’ knowledge of the hymn O Gott, du frommer Gott subconsciously

informed the message of this cantata movement. The text of the hymn, like the cantata

movement, is a hymn of praise to the Holy Trinity, as well as a hymn of encouragement for believers to be faithful servants of God in the world. Following is an excerpt of the hymn O Gott,

du frommer Gott:

Verse 1 O God, Thou faithful God, Thou Fountain ever flowing, Without Whom nothing is, All perfect gifts bestowing; A pure and healthy frame O give me, and within A conscience free from blame, A soul unhurt by sin.

Verse 2 And grant me, Lord, to do, With ready heart and willing, Whate’er Thou shalt command, My calling here fulfilling, And do it when I ought, With all my strength, and bless The work I thus have wrought, For Thou must give success.

21 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 379.

Verse 9 To Thee, God Father, laud Be now and evermore; O God the Son receive The love our full hearts store; God Holy Ghost, Thy fame From day to day increase; O blessed Three in One Thy praises ne’er shall cease.22

22 Winkworth, “Online Library of Liberty - O Gott, du frommer Gott.”

Figure 5.2: BWV 129-1, mm. 19-2223

The movement ends with a return to the opening instrumental passage.

23 Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, 43-44.

Movement 2, an aria for bass and basso continuo, is written in the key of A major. In

contrast with the grand and jubilant opening movement to God the Father, this movement is a

much more intimate and personal composition in praise of the second aspect of the Trinity: God

the Son.24 The intimacy is created by the simple paring of soloist and continuo; the personal

quality is created by a text about the individual’s relationship with God, as mein Heil (my salvation), and mein Leben (my life).

Gelobet sei der Herr, Blessed be the Lord.

Mein Gott, mein Heil, mein Leben, My God, my salvation, my life,

Des Vaters liebster Sohn, The Father's dearest Son,

Der sich für mich gegeben. Who himself for me did-give, (Who gave himself for me,)25

Helmut Rilling cites the opening basso continuo line, with juxtaposed high and low

ranges, as a musical example of God from on high brought down to earth, in the person of Jesus

(Figure 5.3).26

Figure 5.3: BWV 129-2, mm. 1-1627

24 Humphreys, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott," 188; Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 379. 25 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 448-449. 26 Helmut Rilling, Helmuth Rilling: The Oregon Bach Festival Master Class Lectures, Volume II, 1982, 1983 -- part I, ed. Marla Lowen (Dayton, OH: Roger Dean, 2000), 82. 27 Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, 63.

The same pattern of high/low basso continuo playing resumes when the text first mentions des Vaters liebster Sohn (the Father’s dearest Son) (Figure 5.4).28

Figure 5.4: BWV 129-2, mm. 44-5129

In the middle portion of this aria, when the text comes to the account of Jesus’ shedding

his blood for the redemption of humanity, Bach sets a very tender phrase. After measures of

alternating motivic movement between the bass voice and the basso continuo part, the final

measures come to a definitive rhythmical and harmonic cadence, as seinem teuren Blut (his

28 Rilling, Helmuth Rilling: The Oregon Bach Festival Master Class Lectures, Volume II, 1982, 1983 -- part I, 83. 29 Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, 63-64.

precious blood) is sung.30 Just previous to this cadence, Bach highlights one of the most important words of the phrase and one of the most important words in Christian theology, erlöset

(redeemed), with two melismatic passages (Figure 5.5).

Der mich erlöset hat Who me redeemed hath (Who redeemed me)

Mit seinem teuren Blut, With his precious blood,

Figure 5.5: BWV 129-2, mm. 78-8631

The third and final portion of the movement returns to the high/low basso continuo playing as was heard in the first section of the aria, as the text again speaks of God offered for humanity.

Der mir im Glauben schenkt Who to-me through faith doth-give

30 Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Sacred and Secular, vol. 1, 441; Rilling, Helmuth Rilling: The Oregon Bach Festival Master Class Lectures, Volume II, 1982, 1983 -- part I, 83. 31 Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, 64.

Sich selbst. das höchste Gut. Him-self, the highest good. (Who gives himself, the highest good, to me by faith.)32

The third movement, an aria for soprano with flauto traverso, violin I solo, and basso continuo, sets the third verse of Olearius’s hymn text. This verse, set in E minor, is a song of praise for the third Person of the Holy Trinity: God the Spirit.33 This movement is much longer and more elaborate than the previous movement, and is driven by a “persistent semiquaver figure probably meant to suggest the Holy Spirit as a flame, or a ‘rushing mighty wind.’”34 This motive is passed around to every instrument throughout the movement; however, the soprano never sings it (Figure 5.6).

Figure 5.6: BWV 129-3, mm. 1-835

32 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 449. 33 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 378-379. 34 Humphreys, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott," 188. 35 Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, 66.

The fourth movement, an aria for alto, oboe d’amore, and basso continuo, sets the fourth

verse of Olearius’s hymn. In G major, this composition is in a pastoral style and is almost dance-

like, with the time signature of six-eight.36 David Humphreys suggests that the imagery of nature

suggested in the text may have inspired Bach to create this pastoral setting: den alles lobet, was in allen Lüften schwebt (whom all-things praise, that in all-the [skies] do-hover or whom all

things that hover in all the skies do praise).37 Providing a sense of a “homogenous texture”

throughout the movement, each part plays and sings the opening eight-note motive first

presented by the oboe d’amore (Figure 5.7).38

36 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 380; Humphreys, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott," 188. 37 Humphreys, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott," 188. 38 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 380.

Figure 5.7: BWV 129-4, mm. 1-839

The alto picks up the motive when she begins her part (Figure 5.8).

Gelobet sei der Herr, Blessed be the Lord,

Mein Gott, der ewig lebet, My God, who eternally liveth, (My God, who lives eternally,)40

Figure 5.8: BWV 129-4, mm. 24-2841

39 Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, 73. 40 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 450. 41 Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, 73.

Each of the three previous movements has focused on one Person of the Holy Trinity;

this movement brings together all three.

Gelobet sei der Herr, Blessed be the Lord,

Des Name heilig heißt, Whose name Holy is-called, (Whose name is called Holy,)

Gott Vater, Gott der Sohn God (the) Father, God the Son,

Und Gott der Heilge Geist. And God the Holy Ghost.42

Bach sets this text in an “ingenious way” to musically portray the theology of the Holy

Trinity: “One Being, Three Persons.”43 Bach brings all three parts together in an octave-unison at the beginning of the phrase. By the time the section reaches heilge, they are fully divided into

their own parts. When Geist is sung, they are once again at unison; however, this time they are

singing and playing in three separate octaves (Figure 5.9).44

42 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 450. 43 Rilling, Helmuth Rilling: The Oregon Bach Festival Master Class Lectures, Volume II, 1982, 1983 -- part I, 90. 44 Ibid.

Figure 5.9: BWV 129-4, mm. 88-9245

The final movement begins with fanfare and brilliance. It is a composition of pure praise.

Back in D major, the key of the opening movement, this fifth movement of the cantata is built on the fifth verse of Olearius’s hymn. Like the first movement, this composition is in a jubilant concertante style; the instruments provide exciting ritornellos and episodes between the strongly- framed four-part homophonic chorale settings of the text. Although the style of this movement, along with the first movement, brings sense of dynamic framing to this particular cantata, it differs greatly from the usual plain chorale settings of many Bach cantata final movements.

Within the frame of the two “full-textured outer movements” lie three beautiful, intimate inner verses.46

Of particular note in this movement are the trumpets. In the first movement, they simply mark cadences; however, in this movement, they lead the six-measure opening ritornello, and play significant roles in the instrumental episodes between the chorale phrases (Figure 5.10).47

45 Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, 76. 46 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 380. 47 Ibid.

Figure 5.10: BWV 129-5, mm. 1-648

48 Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, 78-79.

Rilling comments on the flute part throughout the movement as inspired by the chorus phrase Und mit der Engel Schar, Das Heilig, Heilig singen (And with the angel host, that “Holy,

Holy” sing): the “flute ‘sings’ the chorale melody with the sopranos, but an octave higher, in the

range of the angels.”49 The flute doubles the sopranos at the octave throughout the movement.

The flute and the basso continuo are the only instruments that play with the chorus in this movement (Figure 5.11).

Mit Freuden lassen klingen With joy let resound (The one to whom we now let that Sanctus joyfully resound)

Und mit der Engel Schar And with the angel host

Das Heilig, Heilig singen, That ''Holy, Holy" sing,50

49 Rilling, Helmuth Rilling: The Oregon Bach Festival Master Class Lectures, Volume II, 1982, 1983 -- part I, 92. 50 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 450.

Figure 5.11: BWV 129-5, mm. 6-1651

51 Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, 79-81.

Maestro Rilling shares a final observation about the last moments of the cantata:

After the last chorale line Gelobet sei mein Gott in alle Ewigkeit! [Praised be the Lord in all eternity] Bach repeats the instrumental introduction. The piece begins anew--it could go on forever "in all eternity."52

52 Rilling, Helmuth Rilling: The Oregon Bach Festival Master Class Lectures, Volume II, 1982, 1983 -- part I, 95.

Table 5.2: Movement Outline BWV 129

Movement Key/Time Type Special Notes

1 D major / common time Chorus for SATB voices, with Grand choral movement; bright signature trumpets I-III, timpani, flauto and festive concertato for traverso, oboes I-II, strings, strings and woodwinds with organ, and basso continuo trumpet/timpani interjections; sopranos sing cantus firmus while other voices join with “imitative, freely polyphonic, or chordal substructure;”53 Praises God the Father

2 A major / three-eight time Aria for bass with organ and Intimate movement, signature basso continuo particularly in contrast to mvmt. 1; praises God the Son; features basso continuo part that juxtaposes high/low figures, symbolic of God come down to earth

3 C minor / alla breve time Aria for soprano with flauto In praise of God the Spirit; signature traverso, violin I solo, organ, driven by a sixteenth-note and basso continuo motive that “suggests the Holy Spirit as a flame, or a ‘rushing mighty wind’” 54

4 G major / six-eight time Aria for alto with oboe Pastoral, dance-like; opening signature d’amore, organ, and basso motive is repeated in all continuo instruments and voices, throughout the movement; when the three Persons of the Trinity are featured, music comes to an octave-unison, splits to three separate parts, then joins again on a octave- unison, with notes in three different octaves.

5 D major / common time Chorale, SATB, with trumpets Brilliant movement; opens with signature I-III, timpani, flauto traverso, a fanfare; trumpets play pivotal oboes I-II, strings, organ, and role in driving the movement, basso continuo more than just marking cadences like in mvmt. 1; chorus sings four-part homophonic chorale setting of the text with instrumental episodes of dynamic polyphonic passages

53 Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, 379. 54 Humphreys, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott," 188.

Chapter 6: Overall Comparison

One of the central elements of this research project is a comparison of the four Trinity

Sunday cantatas. Since the four cantatas have been examined in detail as part of Chapters 2-5,

Chapter 6 turns to comparing the discoveries that were made by studying the compositions.

Common techniques and characteristics between the cantatas are identified in this chapter, with

particular attention to the methods Bach used to express sacred text.

Scoring

In the Scoring subsections of Chapters 2-5, attention was focused on the instrumentation,

voicing, and overall movement structure that Bach used in the four Trinity Sunday cantatas:

BWV 194, 165, 176, and 129. Those three criteria are compared among the four cantatas in

Table 6.1. Please note that the names of the movements in the table (recitativo, choral, chorus,

chorale, etc.) were the names given by Bach in his scores. Specific commonalities and

dissimilarities have been highlighted among the scoring comparisons in Table 6.2. Notable in the

commonalities among all the cantatas are the use of a choral or chorale movement at the end of

every cantata (and at the end of both parts of BWV 194), the use of tutti instruments in the first

and last movements of each composition, and the use of soprano and bass soloists. Oboes were

the most common non-string instruments used. BWV 129 was the only cantata that had no recitative movements; the only solo movements in this cantata were arias.

Table 6.1: Scoring Comparison

BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Voices soprano, tenor, and soprano, alto, tenor, soprano, alto, and bass soprano, alto, and bass bass soloists; and a and bass soloists; and soloists; and a four- soloists; and a four- four-part chorus a four-part chorus part chorus part chorus

Instruments three oboes, bassoon, two violins, viola, two oboes, oboe da three trumpets, two violins, viola, bassoon, and basso caccia, two violins, timpani, flauto organ, and basso continuo viola, and basso traverso, two oboes, continuo continuo oboe d’amore (oboe d’amore player also plays oboe II), two violins, viola, organ, and basso continuo

Movements 2 Parts1 6 Movements 6 Movements 5 Movements 12 Movements 1 - Aria: soprano and 1 - Chorus: SATB and 1 - Chorus: SATB, Part I tutti instruments tutti instruments and tutti instruments 1 - Chorus: SATB, (no oboe d’amore) and tutti instruments 2 - Recitativo: bass 2 - Recitativo: alto and and basso continuo basso continuo 2 - Aria: bass and 2 - Recitativo: bass basso continuo and basso continuo 3- Aria: alto and basso 3 - Aria - soprano, continuo strings, and basso 3 - Aria: soprano, 3 - Aria: bass, oboe I, continuo flute, violin solo, and strings, and basso 4 - Recitativo: bass, basso continuo continuo strings, bassoon, and 4 - Recitativo: bass basso continuo and basso continuo 4 - Aria: alto, oboe 4 - Recitativo: soprano d’amore, and basso and basso continuo 5 - Aria: tenor, violins 5 - Aria: alto, oboes, continuo I-II, and basso and basso continuo 5 - Aria: soprano, continuo 5 - Chorale: SATB, strings, and basso 6 - Choral: SATB and and tutti instruments continuo 6 - Chorale: SATB tutti instruments (no oboe d’amore) and tutti instruments 6 - Chorale, SATB and tutti instruments

Part II 7 - Recitativo: tenor and basso continuo

8 - Aria: tenor and basso continuo

1 Both parts were not performed every time the cantata was presented. For the first Leipzig performance, only Part I was performed. Both parts were presented at the cantata’s first performance in Störmthal.

BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Movements 9 - Recitativo Duet: (cont’d) soprano, bass, and basso continuo

10 - Aria: soprano, bass, oboes I-II, and basso continuo

11 - Recitativo: bass and basso continuo

12 - Choral: SATB and tutti instruments

Table 6.2: Commonalities in Scoring

BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Soloists, a four-part chorus, and an orchestra of yes yes yes yes strings and basso continuo

Soprano and bass soloists yes yes yes yes

At least five movements yes yes yes yes

Begins and end with tutti instruments yes yes yes yes2

Ends with a choral or chorale movement3 yes yes yes yes

Basso continuo plays on every measure4 yes yes yes yes

Alto soloist no yes yes yes

Oboes yes no yes yes

Recitativo and aria movements yes yes yes no

Tenor soloist yes yes no no

Bassoon5 yes yes no no

2 Since the same player plays the oboe II part and the oboe d’amore in BWV 129, the oboe d’amore is not played with the tutti orchestra. 3 Other comparisons of these movements will be done in this chapter’s “Detail of Each Movement” section. 4 This technique is standard practice for music of the early 18th century. 5 Even though only two cantatas have bassoon parts indicated as part of the continuo line, the bassoon might have played on any or all of the cantatas, because of the flexibility of the continuo instrumentation (Ulrich Prinz, “Bassoon,” In Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcolm Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 59-60.).

100

BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Six movements no yes yes no

Trumpets and timpani no no no yes

Oboe da caccia no no yes no

Oboe d’amore no no no yes

Flauto traverso no no no yes

Cantata in two parts yes no no no

Twelve movements yes no no no

Five movements no no no yes

Performance/Compositional History

In the Performance/Compositional History subsections of Chapters 2-5, attention was

focused on the circumstances surrounding the first performances of the cantatas. Two of the

cantatas were written originally for Leipzig Trinity Sunday presentations: BWV 176 and 129;

BWV 165 was originally written for a Weimar Trinity Sunday performance. BWV 194 was first

performed in Störmthal for a church/organ dedication service. This last cantata’s music was

based on an earlier secular cantata from Bach’s time in service to the Prince of Anhalt-Cöthen

(1717-1723). Some scholars theorize that the beginnings of the cantata extend even further back

to a purely instrumental composition. The historical details of the cantatas are compared between

each other in Table 6.3. The Jahrgang during which each cantata was first performed in Leipzig has also been indicated in the table.

101

Table 6.3: Performance/Compositional History Comparison

BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

First Leipzig Trinity Sunday, Trinity Sunday, Trinity Sunday, Trinity Sunday, performance June 4, 1724 June 4, 1724 May 27, 1725 June 16, 1726

(Reformation Sunday, Oct. 31, 1726 - other possible first performance)6

Jahrgang of Jahrgang I Jahrgang I Jahrgang II Jahrgang III First Leipzig performance

First Church/organ Trinity Sunday, performance if dedication, June 16, 1715, not Leipzig Nov. 2, 1723 Weimar Störmthal

Other known Parts of the cantata Trinity Sunday, Trinity Sunday, performances performed as secular June 7, 1716 June 8, 1732 cantata, Weimar 1717-1723 (specific date uncertain), Cöthen (BWV 194a)

Trinity Sunday, June 16, 1726, Leipzig

Trinity Sunday, May 20, 1731 Leipzig

Other Only a few For the first Leipzig BWV 176 was one of As a chorale cantata, historical instrumental parts are performance, BWV the final nine cantatas BWV 129 was written details extant from the 1717- 165 was paired with of Jahrgang II, with to take the place of 1723 Cöthen version. BWV 194. BWV 194 librettos by Christiane BWV 176 in the full- No text has survived. was performed before Mariane von Ziegler. chorale-cantata cycle the sermon; BWV The final fourteen that was begun with For the first Leipzig 165 was performed cantatas were the only Jahrgang II. The full performance, BWV following the sermon. non-chorale cantatas chorale cantata cycle 194 was paired with of Jahrgang II. was never completed. BWV 165. BWV 194 was performed before

6 According to Dürr (The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text) and Humphreys ("Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott"), the first performance of BWV 129 is uncertain; however, historians indicate Trinity Sunday, June 16, 1726, as the most probable first performance of the composition.

102

BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

the sermon; BWV 165 was performed following the sermon.

Some scholars theorize that the original material of this cantata came from a purely instrumental composition.

Libretto

In the Libretto subsections of Chapters 2-5, attention was focused on the cantata’s texts and the authors of the texts. For each of the four Trinity Sunday cantatas, librettos were written by different authors; however, the identity of only three of the librettists is known. Christiane

Mariane von Ziegler was one of those three. The only known female librettist for Bach’s cantatas, Ziegler supplied the librettos for the final nine cantatas of Jahrgang II. The librettist for

BWV 165, Solomo Franck, was a regular collaborator with Bach. He and Bach collaborated on all but two of Bach’s Weimar sacred cantatas. The libretto of BWV 129, by Johann Olearius, is taken from a single hymn by the author, with each of the five hymn verses serving as the texts for the five cantata movements. The chorale movement librettists for BWV 194, 165, and 176 were all well-known hymn writers in their day; especially Paul Gerhardt (BWV 194 and 176).

Bach used Gerhardt’s texts in over twenty-five of his cantatas and vocal works.

Three of the librettos were based on the scripture of the day for their original performances. The scripture readings of the day for the premiere of BWV 194 (a church/organ dedication service, Sunday, Nov. 2, 1723) were the Epistle reading, Revelation 21:2-8, and the

Gospel reading, Luke 19:1-10. The scripture readings for the day of the premieres of BWV 165

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(Trinity Sunday, June 16, 1715) and 176 (Trinity Sunday, May 27, 1725) were the Epistle

reading, Romans 11:33-36, and the Gospel reading, John 3:1-15. The readings for the day of the

premiere of BWV 129 (Trinity Sunday, June 16, 1726) were also the Trinity Sunday scriptures

(the Epistle reading, Romans 11:33-36, and the Gospel reading, John 3:1-15), but the cantata’s

libretto was not directly based on those texts. As stated previously, it was based on a hymn of

praise to the Holy Trinity titled Gelobet sei der Herr by Johann Olearius. The locations in this

document of the full text of the scripture readings and the Olearious hymn are found in the

footnote below Table 6.4.

The theological/philosophical foci of the cantatas are each different from the others, even

though two of the cantatas were based on the same scripture, and they were all used for

performances on Trinity Sunday. The focus of BWV 194 is to welcome God not only into the

newly-built sanctuary for God’s worship, but also to welcome God into the hearts of the church’s

congregation. The focus of BWV 165 is to encourage believers to walk in relationship with God

throughout their lives, continually offering themselves up for cleansing through the power of

Christ. The focus of BWV 176 is to remind God’s people that even though they may long for the

darkness (hiding their nature), they are encouraged, through faith and in relationship with Christ,

to step into the light of wholeness and holiness. The focus of BWV 129 is a hymn of praise to the

eternal triune God; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Details of the cantatas’ librettos are compared in Table 6.4.

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Table 6.4: Libretto Comparison

BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Librettist of Anonymous Solomo Franck Christiane Mariane Johann Olearius non chorale von Ziegler movements

Librettist(s) Johann Heermann and Ludwig Helmbold Paul Gerhardt Johann Olearius of chorale Paul Gerhardt movement(s)

Main textual Scripture of the day Gospel scripture of the Gospel scripture of the Gelobet sei der Herr¸ source for the first day for Trinity day for Trinity a hymn written by performance (a church Sunday, John 3:1-158 Sunday, John 3:1-15 Olearius in praise of dedication service), the Holy Trinity9 Revelations 21:2-8; Luke 19:1-107

Cantata’s Let us welcome God Let us walk in Even though we may Let us praise God, theological / not only into the relationship with God long for the darkness forever; the Father, philosophical newly-built sanctuary throughout our lives, (hiding our nature), let Son, and Holy Spirit. focus for God’s worship, but continually offering us, through faith and let us also welcome ourselves up for in relationship with God into our hearts. cleansing through the Christ, step into the power of Christ. light of wholeness and holiness.

Other notes The focus of the text Bach collaborated Bach collaborated The text for the is a church dedication; with Franck on all but with Ziegler on the cantata is taken word- however, the Holy two of his church final nine cantatas of for-word from a hymn Trinity is mentioned cantatas written in Jahrgang II. Ziegler by Olearius, without prominently in mvmts. Weimar. seemed to be paraphrase or 6 and 7, the last particularly focused modification by Bach. movement of Part I on the fact that and the first Nicodemus wanted to movement of Part II. meet Jesus at night. Contrasts of night and day are made throughout the text. Bach modified Ziegler’s text for use in BWV 176.

7 For the full text of these scriptures, please see Chapter 2, subsection Libretto. 8 For the full text of this scripture, please see Chapter 1, subsection Trinity Sunday and Scripture. 9 For the full text of Olearius’s libretto for BWV 129, please see Appendix: Text translations and Scriptural Allusions, subsection Gelobet sei der Herr, BWV 129.

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Detail of Each Movement

In the Detail of Each Movement subsections of Chapters 2-5, attention was focused on the cantatas’ general compositional techniques and particular devices used to highlight the

theological/spiritual aspects of the librettos. To bring out important text in the compositions,

Bach used extended melismatic passages in both arias and recitatives, expressive arioso passages

in recitative movements, uniquely higher notes than the surrounding pitches in recitatives, and

duet passages between voices and between voice and instruments that contrasted different points

of view. Dance-styles and dance-like motives were used throughout the cantatas to convey a

sense of joy and to keep the momentum of the overall composition moving forward. Other

compositional features in these cantatas were the dynamic use of trumpets in BWV 129; the

colorful use of the oboe d’amore and the oboe da caccia in BWV 176 and 129; and the dramatic

use of strings in the accompagnato recitative for bass in BWV 165.

Although trumpets play in both the first and final movements of BWV 129, in the last

movement of the cantata, the trumpets drive the movement forward, through fanfares and

polyphonic writing. The use of the oboe d’amore and oboe da caccia is particularly beautiful in

BWV 176 and 129, when these sweet-toned instruments are paired with their vocal counterpart

in tonal color, the alto soloist (BWV 176, mvmt. 5, oboe da caccia with two standard oboes, and

the alto soloist; BWV 129, mvmt. 4, oboe d’amore with the alto soloist). In the only

accompagnato recitative of the Trinity Sunday cantatas, the fourth movement of BWV 165, the

strings parts are written very expressively, with melodic figures interspersed with sustained-note

passages. At the end of the movement a particularly dramatic moment occurs in connection with

the text wenn alle kraft vergehet (when all strength hath-vanished). After this text is sung by the

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bass soloist, the strings wind down to complete silence on the final measure, leaving only a

single note (senza accompagnamento) in the basso continuo.

The compositional techniques found in the Trinity Sunday cantatas are summarized side- by-side in Table 6.5. Conclusions about these details and other features of the cantatas will be presented in Chapter 7.

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Table 6.5: Detail of Each Movement Comparison

BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Mvmt. 1 B-flat major G major C minor D major

Alla breve time Common time Common time Common time signature signature signature signature

Chorus for SATB Aria for Soprano with Chorus for SATB Chorus for SATB, voices with tutti tutti instruments voices with tutti with trumpets I-III, instruments instruments timpani, flauto Wholly polyphonic; traverso, oboes I-II, French overture; one each instrumental Grand choral strings, organ, and of only six extant episode is a full fugal movement; four-part basso continuo (tutti cantatas that employ exposition; key text is choral fugue with instruments except for the French overture brought out by string fanfare parts oboe d’amore, whose style; instruments are extended melismas similar to player also plays alone in the beginning Brandenberg Concerto Oboe II) slow section, fugal No. 5; key text is choral section follows brought out by an Grand choral with instruments aurally descriptive movement; bright and mainly doubling the melodic line festive concertato for choral parts, slow representing the first strings and section ends the of many dualities woodwinds with movement mainly throughout the cantata trumpet/timpani played by instruments interjections; sopranos with a brief choral sing cantus firmus conclusion while other voices join with imitative, freely polyphonic, or chordal substructure; text praises God the Father

Mvmt. 2 B-flat major E minor - A minor G minor A major

Common time Common time Common time Three-eight time signature signature signature signature

Recitative for bass Recitative for bass Recitative for alto Aria for bass with with basso continuo with basso continuo with basso continuo organ and basso continuo Secco recitative; Secco recitative; Brief secco recitative; textual highlighting sections of the duality of night Intimate and personal; accomplished by use recitative almost (Nicodemus) and day text praises God the of extra rests before become ariosos (Jesus) is presented Son; features basso and throughout because of the continuo part that important passages expressive melodic juxtaposes high/low writing figures, symbolic of God come down to earth

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BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Mvmt. 3 B-flat major E minor B-flat major C minor

Twelve-eight time Twelve-eight time Alla breve time Alla breve time signature signature signature signature

Aria for bass with Aria for alto with Aria for soprano with Aria for soprano with oboe I, strings, and basso continuo strings and basso flauto traverso, violin basso continuo continuo I solo, organ, and Graceful slow gigue; basso continuo Pastorale or siciliano; beautifully shaped Da capo aria; gavotte- textual highlighting line of the basso like; night / day Text praises God the accomplished by continuo; first musical duality imagery is Spirit; driven by a extended melismas on phrase rises continued; constant persistent sixteenth- key words repeatedly by an dance-like motive in note motive that interval of a sixth; the violin I part suggests the Holy voice picks up this represents the Spirit as a flame, or a sixth pattern in the constant spirit of God, “rushing mighty first phrase; Bach uses only mimicked in the wind” the graceful gigue to voice on the text bring out the freue Gottes Geist (God’s (rejoice) in the text Spirit) and göttlich auserlesen (divinely chosen); long-held note in the voice part on the word ruhn (rest) is paired with the triplet Holy Spirit motive in the violin I part, depicting the text, Gottes Geist muß auf ihm ruhn (God's Spirit must upon him be-resting or God's Spirit must be resting upon him)

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BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Mvmt. 4 G minor - E-flat major B minor - G major F major and G minor G major

Common time Common time Common and three- Six-eight time signature signature four time signatures signature

Recitative for soprano Recitative for bass Recitative for bass Aria for alto with with basso continuo with tutti instruments with basso continuo oboe d’amore, organ, and basso continuo Secco recitative; very Accompagnato Secco recitative with brief melisma on a recitative; continually extended arioso Pastoral, dance-like; key word varies between section to opening motive is speech-like sections accommodate text repeated in all and arioso passages added (most likely) by instruments and (at an adagio tempo); Bach; extended voices, throughout the numerous vocal melisma with long- movement; when the melismas; arpeggiated held, and moving three Persons of the serpent motive in the notes to express key Trinity are featured, bass (representing the text music comes to an first sin of Eden); very octave-unison, splits expressive to three separate parts, instrumental writing then joins again on a interspersed with octave- unison, with sustained-note notes in three different passages; after the octaves (symbolic of final text of the mvmt. the theology of the (wenn alle kraft Trinity: Three in One) vergehet - “when all strength hath- vanished”) the strings wind down to a tacet on the final measure, leaving only the single note (senza accompagnamento) in the basso continuo

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BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Mvmt. 5 E-flat major G major E-flat major D major

Alla breve time Common time Three-eight time Common time signature signature signature signature

Aria for soprano with Aria for tenor with Aria for alto with Chorus for SATB strings and basso Violins 1/II (in oboes I/II, oboe da voices, with trumpets continuo unison) and basso caccia, and basso I-III, timpani, flauto continuo continuo traverso, oboes I-II, Da capo aria; gavotte; strings, organ, and fire imagery depicted Unison violins play a In three contrasting basso continuo (tutti in rising and falling twisting serpent parts; oboes played in instruments except for melodic lines; motive throughout unison during the oboe d’amore, whose sequential extended (serpent in this ritornello sections player also plays melismas are movement is the representative of the Oboe II) employed to feature healing symbol of Holy Trinity; dance- keys word Christ) like; descriptive Brilliant movement; melodic writing opens with a fanfare; depicts textual duality, trumpets play pivotal similar in shape to the role in driving the musical subject in movement, more than mvmt. 1 just marking cadences like in mvmt. 1; chorus sings four-part homophonic chorale setting of the text with instrumental episodes of dynamic polyphonic passages

Mvmt. 6 B-flat major G major F minor and C minor

Common time Common time Common time signature signature signature

Chorale for SATB Chorale for SATB Choral for SATB with with tutti instruments with tutti instruments tutti instruments

End of Part I; chorale Simple, peaceful Four-part chorale with two stanzas; chorale setting setting; harmonic key plain chorale setting; transitions back to key all instruments except of cantata’s first for oboe III double mvmt. voice parts (due to the compass of the oboe at that part’s tessitura); one of only two movements in which the Holy Trinity was mentioned

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BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Mvmt. 7 F major - C minor

Common time signature

Recitative for tenor with basso continuo

Beginning of Part II; secco recitative; extensive melismas on key words; one of only two movements in which the Holy Trinity is mentioned

Mvmt. 8 G minor

Common time signature

Aria for tenor with basso continuo

Da capo aria; gigue; key words brought out by melismas, arpeggiation, and large intervallic skips to a high notes

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BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Mvmt. 9 B-flat major - F major

Common time signature

Recitative duet for soprano and bass with basso continuo

Secco recitative ending with a brief andante arioso section; features a duet from two points of view (one of Bach’s favorite compositional techniques) - doubt and confirmation in this movement; pitch rises at the end of the musical phrase with a question and descends at the end of musical phrase with an answer; when all the questions are finally answered the two voices sing together in an arioso section (the only arioso section in this cantata)

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BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Mvmt. 10 F major

Three-four time signature

Aria duet for soprano and bass with oboes I and II and basso continuo

Da capo aria; minuet with pastorale writing for oboes; key word emphasized by a long- held vocal note, while the other voice continues rhythmical/melodic movement; the two oboe parts extend this pattern in their own parts in the following measures

Mvmt. 11 B-flat major

Common time signature

Recitative for bass with basso continuo

Secco recitative; prepares for the final chorale movement with a “wake up” word (wohlan - “come-on”) set on a very high note; in the final phrase of music, Bach sets particular words on uniquely high notes to bring out an inspired reading of the text

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BWV 194 BWV 165 BWV 176 BWV 129

Mvmt. 12 B-flat major

Three-four time signature

Chorale for SATB voices with tutti instruments

Chorale with two stanzas; plain chorale setting; all instruments except for oboe III double voice parts (due to the compass of the oboe at that part’s tessitura); like the last phrase of the preceding movement, the key word (Herz - “heart”) is featured in the chorale text

Cantata’s Bach uses vibrant Two contrasting An extended and very BWV 129 is a significant dance-like forms and serpent themes are expressive arioso beautifully developed compositional increasingly included in two section sets a passage cantata: brilliant outer features and expressive recitatives consecutive of text, a paraphrase movements, with other notes and arias to move the movements. The first the next verse highly expressive and cantata forward serpent theme, in the following the Gospel intimate inner toward a heart-felt bass recitative, reading for Trinity movements. The climax at the end of represents the first sin; Sunday, that was movement form of the the cantata. the second theme, in added to the original cantata is spare; it the following tenor libretto (perhaps it only has the Some scholars aria, represents the was added by Bach). absolutely required theorize that the healing Christ. Three oboes played in elements: one original material of unison represent the movement for each of this cantata comes Holy Trinity in final the Persons of the from a purely alto aria. Holy Trinity, one instrumental movement for all composition. three together, and a final joyous movement to bring it all to a close (echoing the dynamic quality of the first movement). There are no recitatives in this cantata.

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Chapter 7: Summary and Conclusions

As presented in Chapter 1 of this document, this research project has focused on

answering three questions about the Bach cantatas performed on Trinity Sunday in Leipzig:

BWV 194, 165, 176, and 129. This chapter provides a summary of the answers that have been

gleaned from the study of the four cantatas, as well as presents additional conclusions that have

surfaced from the examination of the compositions.

Question 1: From what musical and textual material did Bach compose his Trinity Sunday cantatas?

For the librettos of his four cantatas, Bach drew upon four different authors: Solomo

Franck, Johann Olearius, an anonymous author, and the only woman with whom he collaborated on his cantatas, Christiane Mariane von Ziegler. The librettos were based on scripture readings

for Trinity Sunday, scripture readings for a church/organ dedication service, and a single hymn

in praise of the Holy Trinity. The librettos for his chorale movements were written by well-

known authors of their day, all of whose texts were used by Bach in numerous other cantatas and

vocal compositions: Johann Heerman, Paul Gerhardt, Ludwig Helmbold, and Johann Olearius.

Two of the cantatas were written specifically for the Leipzig liturgical celebrations of

Trinity Sunday: BWV 176 and 129. One cantata was written originally for Trinity Sunday in

Weimar: BWV 165. One cantata was based on a previous secular cantata from Bach’s time in

service to the Prince of Anhalt-Cöthen: BWV 194. It is theorized that the origins of this last

cantata may also extend back earlier in time than Cöthen, to a purely instrumental composition.

Other details about each cantata’s compositional history and musical style can be found in

Chapters 2-5.

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Question 2: How do the components and messages of the Trinity Sunday cantatas compare with one another?

All of the Trinity Sunday cantatas begin and end with movements that feature all the

instruments employed in each cantata. Each cantata ends with a chorale movement (named by

Bach as either “choral” or “chorale”). Vocal soloists are used in every cantata: soprano and bass

in all four, alto in three (BWV 165, 175, and 129), and tenor in two (BWV 194 and 165). All of

the cantatas utilize wind instruments in addition to strings and basso continuo. Used in BWV

194, 176 and 129, oboes are the most common non-string instrument, and include the oboe da

caccia in BWV 176, and the oboe d’amore in BWV 129.

Even though only two librettos were based on the same scripture, all four cantatas were composed and designated for Trinity Sunday and each presents a very different theological/spiritual message. BWV 194 is an exhortation for believers to welcome God not only

into the newly-built sanctuary for God’s worship, but into one’s heart. BWV 165 teaches the

church’s congregation about walking in relationship with God throughout life and continuing to

offer themselves for cleansing through the power of Christ. Even though believers may long to

hide their nature in the darkness, BWV 176 encourages the faithful to step into the light of

wholeness and holiness through faith and in relationship with Christ. BWV 129 is a composition

of praise offered to God; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Other details of the cantatas’

comparisons can be found in Chapter 6.

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Question 3: How did Bach use the musical and textual components of the cantatas to communicate his intended theological/philosophical messages?

One of Bach’s primary ways of expressing messages was through melodic/rhythmic ideas and techniques employed on individual lines of text: long-held notes contrasted with continual moving lines in other parts, as on the word ruhn (rest) in BWV 176, mvmt. 3; extended melismatic passages, as on the word Freuden (joy) in BWV 194, mvmt. 8; and repeated motivic patterns, such as the triplet figure that appears in all parts of BWV 129, mvmt. 4. To affect the message of a cantata, Bach was not afraid to modify the librettist’s text, even to the point of adding phrases, such as he did in BWV 176, mvmt. 4. By contrast, he also used the exact, unparaphrased text from a librettist, as he did with the hymn by Johann Olearius in BWV 129.

This last practice, used throughout the first portion of Jahrgang II, gave his cantatas a strong sense of homogeneity.

Bach carefully arranged the style of each movement to reflect the composition’s expressive intent, varying the intensity of the theological lessons with each movement. With dance-style aria movements, such as the gavotte, gigue, and minuet found in BWV 194, he interposed secco recitatives with speech-like patterns and recitatives that dissolved into expressive ariosos. He began his cantatas with tutti instruments in concertato style, such as in

BWV 129, or as a French overture, such as in BWV 194. He ended these four cantatas consistently with a chorale that most likely was sung also by the congregations of his churches, which, in BWV 129 was accompanied in concertante style by the composition’s orchestra. He varied the instrumentation from movement to movement, some with basso continuo alone, others with strings alone or with featured solo instruments, a technique found in all of his Trinity

Sunday cantatas.

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He used the duality exemplified by a duet of voices or a duet between a solo voice and an instrument to depict different points of view, as in the recitative/aria duets between the soprano and bass soloists, BWV 194, mvmts. 9 and 10, and the aria for soprano with violin, BWV 176, mvmt. 3. Other ways that Bach used musical and textual components to communicate theological/spiritual messages can be found in the Detail subsections of Chapters 2-6.

Additional Conclusions

Bach created only four Trinity Sunday cantatas for practical, creative, and theologically/spiritually expressive reasons.

A practical man, Bach composed for the need at hand. Throughout his life, he wrote

different genres of music to serve his current situation. During the years that he served as

organist in Arnstadt, Mühlhausen, and Weimar, Bach wrote the majority of his organ works. At

the court of Cöthen, where Bach served as Capellmeister, his compositional output was focused

on secular music. Likewise, Bach wrote most of his cantatas during his first years serving as

Cantor and Music Director in Leipzig. Once Bach had written five complete cycles of cantatas,

as mentioned in his obituary, it is reasonable to assume that Bach felt that he had created the

necessary musical resources to serve the needs for his Leipzig congregations. It has been made

clear in this document that Bach repeated his cantatas’ performances. With his 300 cantatas (60

cantatas for each of the five year cycles), Bach must have felt that he could rotate the cantatas to

adequately serve his congregations.

In the later cycles of the liturgical year, Bach most likely interspersed within his own

compositions works of other composers. It was unusual for a music director to only program

compositions of his or her own hand, and Bach had at his disposal a library of sacred works by his Lutheran contemporaries and predecessors. It is reasonable to assume that, after the five

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cycles were completed, Bach may have begun to include other composers’ works in his service

planning, in addition to his own compositions.

One might assume that we simply do not know of all the Trinity Sunday cantatas, since only approximately 200 of the 300 original cantatas are extant; however, that theory seems improbable. Most likely, once Bach had written four cantatas for Trinity Sunday, he was finished with this feast day.

Bach was also a creative man, and creative individuals often tire of (re)creating in the same form or genre after a period of time. Once Bach had said what he needed to say through his

Trinity Sunday cantatas, and through other multiples of cantatas that were composed for a single liturgical date, he likely felt he was finished with the genre of cantatas, and he decided to move on to other genres of music. Following the development of the four Trinity Sunday cantatas, it is clear that Bach finally had achieved his ideal Trinity Sunday cantata through the final cantata of the four, BWV 129.

It is possible that Bach never felt that the message of the Holy Trinity was properly conveyed in any of the previous Trinity Sunday cantatas before BWV 129. In its message, BWV

129 is a stark contrast to the other Trinity Sunday cantatas. It is a pure work of praise for the

Three Persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The other Trinity Sunday cantatas have elements of darkness or somberness in them (BWV 165 and 176), or were originally intended for a church dedication (BWV 194). The bright BWV 129 contains no darkness or alternate purpose other than Praise for the Holy Trinity. Bach had finally communicated the ideal message of the Trinity in BWV 129, so he no longer needed to write any other cantatas for this liturgical day.

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Bach made choices about instrumentation based on availability of musicians and his intention of musical/theological expression. Instruments of the oboe family were the most prominently featured wind instruments of Bach’s cantatas due to the excellent skills of Bach’s Leipzig oboists.

Bach’s choices of instruments for his cantatas in Leipzig were limited, bound by the

musicians that were available to him from the students at the St. Thomas School, the University

of Leipzig, and the town musicians. Strings were always available, but the availability of winds

varied. Even though his selection of instruments was restricted, Bach’s choices for the

instrumentation of his cantatas seemed perfectly wed to the expressive intent of his

compositions. Within the available roster of musicians, Bach was able to select the perfect

combination of voices and instruments to convey the messages in his cantatas in the most

beautiful manner. Within the span of the final three movements of BWV 129, three very

different musical styles are presented to communicate three different messages of this Trinity

Sunday cantata. For movement 3, focusing on the Holy Spirit, Bach selected the combination of

soprano soloist, flute, violin, and basso continuo. No other combination of musicians could have

as effectively conveyed the wind or breath of the Holy Spirit, than these light instruments

presenting an ostinato sixteenth-note figure throughout the movement. In movement 4, the alto

soloist, oboe d’amore, and basso continuo bring together all Three Persons of the Holy Trinity with a dance-like, pastoral composition in six-eight time. A brilliant contrast to the more intimate previous movements, the final, fifth movement of the cantata calls for all the musicians of the cantata to join in a grand song of praise to the Trinity with trumpet fanfares and flutes “singing

with the angels,” doubling the soprano voices at the octave above. Even with the constraints of

the limited body of musicians available to him, Bach formed movements that perfectly express

the text and theological/spiritual intent behind the text.

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In his choice of wind instruments for his cantatas, Bach seemed to favor the oboe family,

most likely because he was able to work with two excellent oboists: Caspar Gleditsch and

Gottfried Kornagel. Like Bach, Gleditsch, the first oboist, and Gottfried, the second oboist, were

both employees of the city of Leipzig. It is clear from the amount of oboe repertoire (over twice

as much as he created for any other instrument), the difficulty, and the expressiveness of that

oboe repertoire that Bach highly favored and was inspired by these two musicians.1

Bach made use of the oboe family’s rich palate of tonal colors in the parts he wrote for the oboe d’amore, the oboe da caccia, and the taille (not featured in the Trinity Sunday cantatas), in addition to the standard oboe. In the Trinity Sunday cantatas, Bach paired both the oboe d’amore and the oboe da caccia with alto soloists in dance-like movements that focused on the warm quality of sound in both the oboes and the voice, as in the alto aria featuring the oboe da caccia (in addition to two standard oboes in tutti passages), BWV 176, mvmt. 5, and in the alto aria featuring the oboe d’amore, BWV 129, mvmt. 4. In the 1710s, Leipzig was the site of the creation of both the oboe da caccia and the oboe d’amore. Gleditsch was closely connected to the development of these instruments.2

The oboe parts from his Trinity Sunday cantatas also featured the brilliant quality of the

instrument, such as in the final movement of BWV 129, where the oboes I and II double most of

the trumpet I and II parts. In other cantatas, Bach uses oboes for their flexibility in virtuosic

passages and their power to bring out significant melodic figures. Within the rank of wind

instruments available to Bach, he favored the oboe for the players with whom he was able to

work, and expressed that favor by creating oboe music that exploited the instrument family’s

wide range of tonal color, power, and flexibility.

1 Geoffrey Burgess and Bruce D. Haynes, The Oboe (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2004), 72. 2 Ibid.

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Bach was an innovator.

Many composers of the late 18th Century viewed Bach as old-fashioned and behind-the-

times; however, an examination of Bach’s compositional practices reveals just the opposite. It is

clear that Bach drew upon centuries-old musical techniques in his compositions, from his use of

the cantus firmus practice to the utilization of modal melodies, both practices which appear in his

cantata writing. In BWV 129, mvmt. 1, Bach sets a chorale tune in the soprano voice as a cantus firmus, while the lower voices and tutti instruments present polyphonic music that is imitative within those lower vocal and instrumental parts, but thematically distinct from the soprano cantus firmus. In the final movement of BWV 176, Bach sets a dorian mode melody with a fluid harmonization based in major/minor key areas.

Bach also drew upon the new techniques of his day, including the use of operatic style recitatives and da capo arias, as well as harmonic expansion into chromaticism, specifically at textually important moments in his chorale harmonizations. There are numerous examples of operatic recitative writing in three of the Trinity Sunday cantatas: BWV 194, 165, and 176.

Within the Trinity Sunday cantatas, Bach presents da capo arias in the following movements:

BWV 194, mvmts. 5, 8, and 10; and BWV 176, mvmt. 3. Bach sets a passage in the final chorale movement of BWV 194 with a chromatic chord sequence to convey the stages of the human journey through life’s challenges. The determination of the specific technique, ancient or new, was dependent on Bach’s perception of the most effective way to convey each composition’s message.

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The Trinity Sunday cantatas reflect some of the most important features of the Jahrgänge during which they were first heard in Leipzig.

When Bach arrived in Leipzig to pursue his work as Cantor and Music Director for the city, he decided to create cycles of cantatas for the entire church year (Jahrgänge) that were formed from his own compositions. Even though the first Jahrgang lacked compositional or textual unity, one characteristic stood out in the series of cantata: many of the cantatas presented in Leipzig as part of this cycle were revivals of previously composed works. Both BWV 194 and

165 fit this characteristic. BWV 194 was first performed in Störmthal as a church dedication cantata, seven months before its first presentation in Leipzig. This cantata was also based on a material from an even earlier, secular cantata dating from Bach’s service as Capellmeister to the

Prince of Anhalt-Cöthen (1717-1723). While the specific performance date of the original work is uncertain, BWV 165 was also a previously composed work. It was first performed on Trinity

Sunday, June 16, 1715, in Weimar, where Bach served as concertmaster of the court cappelle.

For Bach’s second year in Leipzig (Jahrgang II), he attempted to create a unified cycle of chorale cantatas, whose texts were each based on or derived from hymns and whose musical material utilized the tunes associated with the hymns. The chorale cantatas ceased after the feast of the Annunciation in 1725, most likely due to the death of the cycle’s librettist. The remaining cantatas in the cycle are non chorale cantatas, with the final nine based on librettos by Christiane

Mariane von Ziegler. BWV 176 was part of the final nine cantatas of the cycle with a libretto by

Ziegler. As part of the third cycle of cantatas, Jahrgang III, Bach composed several chorale cantatas that were intended to fill-in for the non chorale cantatas in Jahrgang II. Like Jahrgang I,

Jahrgang III also lacked any unifying characteristic; however, the creation of fill-in chorale cantatas, such as BWV 129, stands out as the most significant common feature. Bach was never able to fully complete his chorale cantata cycle; however, with the creation of his final Trinity

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Sunday cantata, BWV 129, Bach must have felt that he had satisfactorily completed the series of

cantatas for this liturgical day.

The text and message were of prime importance in Bach’s cantatas.

Every element of Bach’s cantatas was determined not only by the librettos of these

works, but also by the messages that Bach chose to bring out through the musical setting of the

librettos. The message of the libretto, as Bach saw it, determined the individual lines of musical

expression in all of his cantatas. Examples of this type of expression are seen in the extended melismas composed for important words of the text. In the first movement of BWV 194, Bach extends the Freuden (joy) portion of the word Freudenfest (joy-feast) across several measures in all voice parts of the four-part chorus, through melismatic figures. In the first movement of BWV

165, Bach extends the word hochheiliges (most holy), as part of the phrase hochheiliges

Gotteslamm (most holy Lamb of God), across several measures through melismas. Another example of expression, seen particularly in Bach’s recitatives, is the practice of setting important words on higher notes than the notes for the surrounding text. In BWV 194, mvmt. 8, to highlight the word allein (alone) in the phrase Des Höchsten Gegenwart allein kann unsrer

Freuden Ursprung sein (The Highest’s presence alone can be the source of our joy), Bach set high notes in the musical phrase that were reached from a sixth below. Bach’s interest in textual expression extended to working with the librettos themselves. In BWV 176, Bach modified

Ziegler’s text, as well as added a full verse of scripture that was outside the parameter of the scripture for Trinity Sunday (John 3:16), in order to call attention to the message of salvation found through Christ.

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The importance of the text and message is clearly seen in Bach’s use of hymns as one of

the main unifying factors in Jahrgang II’s cantatas. When he began this Jahrgang, each cantata was to be fully based on a hymn. Bach’s librettos also contained multiple allusions of scriptural passages in addition to the scripture designated for Trinity Sunday or for the day on which the cantata was premiered. A table of scriptural allusions found in the Trinity Sunday cantatas is included in the Appendix of this document. The message was the key for Bach, as he tried to live out his faith through his musical works.

The writings of Martin Luther describe the musical arts as the “living voice of the

Gospel.”3 In that light, and from the study of his Trinity Sunday cantatas, one can confidently

acclaim J. S. Bach as an evangelist of the living, sacred art of music. It is this writer’s hope that the explorations of this document will help others to see into Bach’s art at a new depth, in these cantatas and in his works as a whole.

3 Robin A. Leaver, “Johann Sebastian Bach: Theological Musician and Musical Theologian,” BACH: Journal of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute 31, no. 1 (January 2000): 20.

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Appendix: Text translations and Scriptural Allusions

Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194 Much awaited joyful feast4

Librettists: Unknown (mvmts. 1-5, 7-11), Johann Heermann (mvmt. 6), and Paul Gerhardt (mvmt. 12)

Scripture readings for the day of the first performance, the church and organ dedication in Störmthal, Nov 2, 1723: Rev. 21:2-8 (The new Jerusalem comes down from heaven) Lk. 19:1-10 (The conversion of Zacchaeus)

Scripture readings for the Sundays on which the cantata was revived and for which it was revised, Trinity Sundays, June 4, 1724; June 16, 1726; and May 20, 17315: Rom. 11:33-36 (O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!) Jn. 3:1-15 (Discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus: You must be born anew)

Following is a table of the libretto translations, scriptural allusions, and the first lines of the scriptural passages (unless the full passages seem particularly significant for the cantata):

Translation Scripture

Part I 1 Kings 7:51-8:2, 65. All the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was finished.8 1 - Chorus [S, A, T, B] Ps. 118:24. This is the day which the Lord has made; Oboes I-III, Bassoon, Violins I/II, Viola, and Basso let us rejoice and be glad in it. Continuo Ps. 126:3. The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Church Dedication: A celebration of praise.6

Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, (O) most highly-desired festival-of-joy7,

Das der Herr zu seinem Ruhme Which the Lord to his renown

Im erbauten Heiligtume In (this newly) constructed sanctuary

4 David Humphreys, "Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest," in Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcolm Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 221 5 Ibid. 6 Brief descriptions are provided by Unger at the beginning of each movement. 7 Short dashes (-) between English words indicates that a single German word requires two or more English words to adequately translate the German. For example, Freudenfest is literally translated as “festival-of-joy.” 8 Only the first line of the scripture readings has been included in this document.

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Uns vergnügt begehen läßt. Us gladly celebrates lets. (Let us gladly celebrate.)

Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest! (O) most highly-desired festival-of-joy!

2 - Recitative [Bass] 1 Kings 8:22-23, 52-53. Then Solomon stood before Basso Continuo the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread forth his hands toward heaven; and Prayer dedicating new sanctuary and our hearts to God. said, "O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like thee..” Unendlich großer Gott, ach wende dich 2 Chron. 5:1, 11, 13-14. Thus all the work that (O) infinite great God, ah, turn Solomon did for the house of the Lord was finished. Ps. 116:12. What shall I render to the Lord for all his Zu uns, zu dem erwähleten Geschlechte, bounty...? To us, to (thy) chosen race, Heb. 13:15. ...Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge Und zum Gebete deiner Knechte! his name. And to-the prayers of-thy servants! Ps. 50:14, 23. [God]: Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Ach, laß vor dich Rom. 12:1. ...Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, Ah, (Lord,) let before thee-- holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Durch ein inbrünstig Singen 2 Chron. 6:12-14, 18-20. Solomon stood before the Through - ardent singing--9 altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of (Ah Lord, through ardent singing, let before thee) Israel...and spread forth his hands toward heaven; and said, "O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like thee, Der Lippen Opfer bringen! in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing (Our) lips’ offering be-brought! steadfast love to thy servants...” Ex. 25:22. [God]: ...From above the mercy seat, from Wir weihen unsre Brust dir offenbar between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the We dedicate our breast to-thee manifestly testimony [in my house], I will speak with you of all (We manifestly dedicate our heart to thee) that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel. Zum Dankaltar. Ps. 89:15. Blessed are the people who know the festal As (an) altar-of-thanksgiving. shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. Du, den kein Haus, kein Tempel faßt, (O) thou, whom no house, no temple can-contain,

Da du kein Ziel noch Grenzen hast, For thou no end nor limits hast-- (For thou art without end or limits--)

Laß dir dies Haus gefällig sein, es sei dein Angesicht Let to-thee this house pleasing be, (Let this house be pleasing to thee,)

9 Single short dashes in the translation surrounded by spaces (-) indicate that a word has not been included in the English version because its literal translation from the German would make no sense in the English (some articles, many reflexive pronouns, double negatives, etc.).

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es sei dein Angesicht (may) it (become) for-thy countenance

Ein wahrer Gnadenstuhl, ein Freudenlicht. A true mercyseat, a light-of-joy.

3 - Aria [Bass] Ps. 50:2. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God Oboe I, Violins I/II, Viola, and Basso Continuo shines forth. 1 Jn. 1:5. God is light and in him is no darkness at all. God’s radiance fills the sanctuary he has chosen. Jn. 1:4-5. In [Christ, the divine Word] was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the Was des Höchsten Glanz erfüllt, darkness, and the darkness has What the Highest-One’s radiance does-fill, not overcome it. (Whatever the Highest One fills with his radiance,) Heb. 1:3. [The Son] reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature ... Wird in keine Nacht verhüllt, 1 Tim. 6:15-16. ...[He is] the King of kings and Lord of Shall in no night be-veiled; lords, who alone has immortality and dwells in (Shall never be veiled in night;) unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see ... Was des Höchsten heilges Wesen Ex. 34:29-30, 33-35. When Moses came down from Whatever the Highest-One’s holy nature Mount Sinai, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did Sich zur Wohnung auserlesen, not know that the skin of his face shone because he had For-himself as dwelling has-chosen, been talking with God. (For his dwelling has chosen,) 2 Cor. 3:7-8. Now if the dispensation of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such splendor that the Wird in keine Nacht verhüllt, Israelites could not look at Moses' face because of its Will in no night be-veiled, brightness, fading as this was, will not the dispensation (Shall never be veiled in night;) of the spirit be attended with greater splendor? 2 Cor. 4:6. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine Was des Höchsten Glanz erfüllt. out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give Whatever the Highest-One’s radiance does-fill. the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the (Whatever the Highest One fills with his radiance.) face of Christ.

4 - Recitative [Soprano] Rev. 21:2-3. I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, Basso Continuo coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband... Church Dedication: May God accept our offerings. 1 Kings 8:27. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? 1 Tim. 6:15-16. [He is] the blessed and only Sovereign, Wie könnte dir, du höchstes Angesicht, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has How could to-thee, thou most-sublime countenance-- immortality and dwells in unapproachable light... Dan. 2:22. He reveals deep and mysterious things; he Da dein unendlich helles Licht knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Since thy infinitely brilliant light him. Ps. 139:11-12, 15. If I say, "Let only darkness cover Bis in verborgne Gründe siehet, me, and the light about me be night," even the darkness - Into (the) hidden depths doth-see-- is not dark to thee, the night is bright as the day; for darkness is as light with thee... Ein Haus gefällig sein? Acts 7:48-50. The Most High does not dwell in houses A house pleasing be? made with hands; as the prophet says, "Heaven is my (How could a house be pleasing to thee, O thou most throne, and earth my footstool. What house will you sublime countenance, since thy infinitely brilliant light build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my sees into all the hidden depths?) rest? Did not my hand make all these things?" Ps. 8:3. [O Lord,] when I look at thy heavens, the work

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of thy fingers... what is man that thou art mindful of Es schleicht sich Eitelkeit allhie an allen Enden ein. him...? (For) creeps-in - vanity here on every (side) - . Lk. 19:5-7. When Jesus came to the place [where (For vanity doth creep in here on every side.) Zacchaeus was in the sycamore tree], he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; Wo deine Herrlichkeit einziehet, for I must stay at your house today.” Where’er thy glory takes-up-residence, Is. 57:15. Thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “1 dwell in the Da muß die Wohnung rein high and holy place, and also with him who is of a There must be the dwelling clean contrite and humble spirit..." (There must the dwelling be clean) 1 Cor. 6:19-20. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have Und dieses Gastes würdig sein. from God? ...So glorify God in your body. And of-this guest worthy be. 2 Chron. 6:18-20. [O Lord,] behold, heaven and the (And worthy of this guest.) highest heaven cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer Hier wirkt nichts Menschenkraft, of thy servant ...that thy eyes may be open day and Here avail nothing human-powers, night toward this house ... (Here human powers avail nothing.) Hos. 14:2. Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him "Take away all iniquity; accept that which is Drum laß dein Auge offenstehen good and we will render the fruit of our lips." Therefore let thine eye stand-open Ps. 19:14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight... Und gnädig auf uns gehen; And graciously upon us (fall);

So legen wir in heilger Freude dir Then lay we in holy joy for-thee (Then we, in holy joy,)

Die Farren und die Opfer unsrer Lieder (Our) bullocks and the offerings of-our songs (Will lay down our bullocks and offerings of song)

Vor deinem Throne nieder Before thy throne down (Before thy throne)

Und tragen dir den Wunsch in Andacht für. And bring-before thee (our) hope with devotion - .

5 - Aria [Soprano] Is. 6:1-7. In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Violins I/II, Viola, and Basso Continuo Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim; Prayer to be sanctified by Spirit as Isaiah was. each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And Hilf, Gott, daß es uns gelingt, one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Help, (O) God, that this for-us (would) succeed, Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Help, O God, that this would prove successful in us,) Lk. 3:16. John [said to the people], '1 baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the Und dein Feuer in uns dringt, thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he And thy fire into us penetrate, will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (That thy fire might penetrate into us,)

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Daß es auch in dieser Stunde That it (might) also in this hour,

Wie in Esaiae Munde As (it did) in Isaiah’s mouth,

Seiner Wirkung Kraft erhält Its (effective) power retain

Und uns heilig vor dich stellt. And us holy before thee bring. (And bring us sanctified before thee.)

6 - Chorale [S, A, T, B] Rom. 8:91. You are not in the flesh, you are in the Oboes I-III, Violins I/II, Viola, and Basso Continuo Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong Prayer: Holy Ghost, complete thy work of grace in me. to him. Epb. 5:18. ...Be filled with the Spirit. Verse 1 Epb. 2:18. Through [Christ] we...have access in one Heilger Geist ins Himmels Throne, Spirit to the Father. (O) Holy Ghost on heaven’s throne, Mt. 28: 19. ...in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Gleicher Gott von Ewigkeit Jn. 3:3, 5-6. Jesus [said], "...Truly, truly, I say to you, Equally God from (all) eternity unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the Mit dem Vater und dem Sohne, flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is With the Father and the Son, spirit. (Coequal with the Father and the Son from all eternity,) Jn. 14:16-17. [Christ]: I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, Der Betrübten Trost und Freud! even the Spirit of truth...you know him, for he dwells Of-the sorrowing (the) comfort and joy! with you, and will be in you. (Comfort and joy of all the sorrowing!) Jn. 16:8. [Christ]: When [the Counselor] comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness Allen Glauben, den ich find , and judgment. All-the faith, which I find (within me), 1 Cor. 12:3. ...No one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. Hast du in mir angezündt, Rom. 8:14, 16. For all who are led by the Spirit of God Have thou in me kindled; are sons of God... lt is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Über mir in Gnaden walte, 1 Thess. 1:5-6. Our gospel came to you not only in Over me in mercy hold-sway, word. but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with (Hold sway over me in mercy,) full conviction... You received the word in much affliction, with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit Ferner deine Gnad erhalte. 1 Cor. 2:12, 14. Now we have received not the spirit of Furthermore thy (favor) maintain. the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we (And maintain thy favor furthermore.) might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. Heb. 6:4-5. ...[We] have tasted the heavenly gift, and Verse 2 have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have Deine Hilfe zu mir sende, tasted the goodness of the word of God... Thy help to me send, Ps. 103: 11. As the heavens are high above the earth, so (Send thy help to me,) great is [the Lord's] steadfast love toward those who fear him.

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O du edler Herzensgast! Phil. 1:6. I am sure that he who began a good work in O thou noble guest-of-(my)-heart! you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Und das gute Werk vollende, Phil. 2:13. For God is at work in you, both to will and And that good work complete, to work for his good pleasure. (And complete that good work,) Col. 1:27 ....Christ in you, the hope of glory. Rev. 21:3. ...Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. Das du angefangen hast. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people... Which thou begun hast. Lk. 19:5-6. When Jesus came to the place [where (Which thou hast begun.) Zacchaeus was in the sycamore tree], he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, .make haste and come down; Blas in mir das Fünklein auf, for I must stay at your house today.” So he made haste Blow in me that spark (alive), and came down and received him joyfully. (Fan alive the flame,) Jn. 20:22. ...[Jesus] said to [his disciples], "Receive the Holy Spirit.” Bis daß nach vollbrachtem Lauf Jn. 14:16-17. [Christ]: ...The Father...will [send] you Till, after - completed course another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the (Till, after my course is run) Spirit of truth... He dwells with you, and will be in you. Acts 2:1, 3-4. When the day of Pentecost had come, Ich den Auserwählten gleiche [the disciples] were all together in one place... And I the chosen-ones resemble there appeared to them together as of fire, distributed (I become like the chosen ones) and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit... Und des Glaubens Ziel erreiche. 1 Cor. 3:16. Do you not know that you are God's And - faith’s goal attain. temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (And attain the goal of my faith.) Heb. 12:1-2. ...Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith... 2 Tim. 4:7-8. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. Rev. 3:4. [Christ]: ...[The righteous] shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. Rev. 17:14. ...[Those who are with Christ] are called and chosen and faithful. Phil. 3:14. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Part II Ps. 96:7-9/1 Chron. 16:28-30. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and 7 - Recitative [Tenor] strength! Basso Continuo Ps. 122:1. I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!" Rejoice, hasten to meet Trinity in his sanctuary! Lam. 3:41. Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven. Ihr Heiligen, erfreuet euch, Acts 7:48-50. The Most High does not dwell in houses Ye saints, rejoice, made with hands; as the prophet says, "Heaven is my throne, and earth my footstool. What house will you Eilt, eilet, euren Gott zu loben: build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my Hasten, hasten, your God to praise: rest? Did not my hand make all these things?" Acts 7:55-56. [Stephen), full of the Holy Spirit, gazed

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Das Herze sei erhoben into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus (Your) heart be lifted-up standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, (Lift up each heart) I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God." Zu Gottes Ehrenreich, Col. 3:1-2. If then you have been raised with Christ, To God’s realm-of-glory, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are Von dannen er auf dich, above, not on things that are on earth. From there he over thee, Ps. 14:2. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the (From there he watches over thee--) children of men, to see if there are any ...that seek after God. Du heilge Wohnung, siehet 1 Kings 8:28-29. [O Lord,] have regard to the prayer of Thou holy dwelling, watches thy servant...that thy eyes may be open night and day (His holy dwelling--) toward this house [that I have built] ... 1 Cor. 3:16-17. Do you not know that you are God's Und ein gereinigt Herz zu sich temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? ...God's And a purified heart to himself temple is holy, and that temple you are. (And draws every purified heart) I Cor. 6:19-20. ...Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God. You are Von dieser eitlen Erde ziehet. not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify From this vain world draweth. God in your body. (Away from the world to himself.) Jms. 1:27. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this ...to keep oneself unstained Ein Stand, so billig selig heißt, from the world. A station, which rightly blest is-called, 1 Jn. 2:15. Do not love the world or the things in the (This station can rightly be called blessed,) world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. Man schaut hier Vater, Sohn und Geist. Jms. 4:4. ...Do you not know that friendship with the (We) behold here Father, Son, and Spirit. world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Wohlan, ihr gotterfüllte Seelen! God. Well-then, ye divinely-filled souls! Jn. 6:44. [Christ]: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. Ihr werdet nun das beste Teil erwählen; Ps. 24:3-4. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And Ye will now the best part choose; who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean (Ye shall now choose the best part;) hands and a pure heart... Ps. 27:4. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I Die Welt kann euch kein Labsal geben, seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all The world can ye no comfort give, the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, (The world can give ye no comfort,) and to inquire in his temple. Ps. 73:25-26. [O Lord,] whom have I in heaven but Ihr könnt in Gott allein vergnügt und selig leben. thee? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire Ye can in God alone content and blessed live. besides thee. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God (Only in God can ye live contentedly and blessedly.) is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Lk. 10:39-42. [Martha] had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her."

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Ps. 16:11. [O Lord,] thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fullness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures forevermore.

8 - Aria [Tenor] Rev. 21:2-4. I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, Basso Continuo coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice God’s presence alone is source of our joy. from the throne saying, ''Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be Des Höchsten Gegenwart allein his people, and God himself will be with them; he will The Highest’s presence alone wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be (Only the presence of the Most High) no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed Kann unsrer Freuden Ursprung sein. away." Can our joy’s (fountainhead) be. 1 Jo. 2:15-17. Do not love the world or the things in the (Can be the source of our joy.) world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the Vergehe, Welt, mit deiner Pracht, flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not Vanish, (O) world, with thy pomp, of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God In Gott ist, was uns glücklich macht! abides forever. In God is, what us happy makes! Ps. 73:25. [O Lord,] whom have I in heaven but thee? (In God we find that which makes us happy!) And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides thee.

9 - Recitative (Duetto) [Bass, Soprano] Rom. 10:6-11. The righteousness based on faith says, Basso Continuo Do not say in your heart, "Who will ascend into heaven?" (that is, to bring Christ down) or "Who will Dialogue between Doubt and Confirmation. descend into the abyss?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is near Bass: you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of Kann wohl ein Mensch zu Gott im Himmel steigen? faith which we preach); because if you confess with Can indeed a mortal to God in heaven ascend? your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart (Can a mortal indeed ascend to God in heaven?) that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and Soprano: he confesses with his lips and so is saved. Der Glaube kann den Schöpfer zu ihm neigen. Jn. 3:12-13. [Christ]: If I have told you earthly things - Faith can the Creator (down) to itself (draw). and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell (Faith can draw the creator down.) you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. Bass: Mk. 9:23-24. Jesus said to [the father of the sick child], Er ist oft ein zu schwaches Band. "If you can: All things are possible to him who It is oft a too weak bond. believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out (But fait is oft too weak a bond.) and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" Phil. 2:13. God is at work in you, both to will and to Soprano: work for his good pleasure. Gott führet selbst und stärkt des Glaubens Hand, 1 Pet. 5:10. ...The God of all grace, who has called you God leads himself and strengthens - faith’s hand, to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, (God himself leads and strengthens the hand of faith,) establish, and strengthen you. 2 Thess. 1:11. To this end we always pray for you, that Den Fürsatz zu erreichen. our God may make you worthy of his call, and may (Its) purpose to achieve. fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by his power. Mk. 14:38. [Christ]: Watch and pray that you may not

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Bass: enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but Wie aber, wenn des Fleisches Schwachheit wollte the flesh is weak. weichen? 2 Cor. 12:9-10. [The Lord] said to me, "My grace is But-what, if the flesh’s weakness would give-way? sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Soprano: Josh. 24:15. ...Choose this day whom you will serve ... Des Höchsten Kraft wird mächtig in den Schwachen. Jms. 4:4. ..Do you not know that friendship with the The Highest’s power (proves) mighty in the weak. world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Bass: God. Die Welt wird sie verlachen. Jn. 15:18-19. [Christ]: If the world hates you, know The world will them laugh-to-scorn. that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of (But the world will laugh them to scorn.) the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the Soprano: world, therefore the world hates you. Wer Gottes Huld besitzt, verachtet solchen Spott. Ps. 73:25. ...[O Lord,] there is nothing upon earth that I Whoever god’s favor possesses, disdains such scorn. desire besides thee. (Whoever possesses God’s favor disdains such scorn.) Ps. 27:4. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all Bass: the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, Was wird ihr außer diesen fehlen? and to inquire in his temple. What will it besides this lack? Ps. 95:3. The Lord is a great God, and a great King (Besides this, what else would faith’s hand lack?) above all gods. 1 Tim. 6:15-16. ...[He is] the blessed and only Soprano: Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who Ihr einzger Wunsch, ihr alles ist in Gott. alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable Its sole wish, its all is (found) in God. light, whom no man has ever seen or can see... Jn. 20:29. Jesus said to [Thomas]. "Have you believed Bass: because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have Gott ist unsichtbar und entfernet: not seen and yet believe." God is invisible and distant: Mt.26:41. [Christ]: ...The spirit indeed is willing. but (But God is invisible and distant:) the flesh is weak. Rom. 7:15, 18, 24-25. I do not understand my own Soprano: actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very Wohl uns, daß unser Glaube lernet, thing I hate ...For I know that nothing good dwells Good-for us, that our faith learns, within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, (We are blessed if our faith learns,) but I cannot do it. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God Im Geiste seinen Gott zu schauen. through Jesus Christ our Lord!... In-the spirit its God to see. Rom. 8:26. The Spirit helps us in our weakness... (To see its God in the spirit.) Jn. 14:1-3. [Christ]: Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house Bass: are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you Ihr Leib hält sie gefangen. that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and Its flesh holds it captive. prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take (But the hand of faith is held captive by the flesh.) you to myself, that where I am you may be also. Ps. 84:4, 7. Blessed are those who dwell in thy house, Soprano: ever singing thy praise!...The God of gods will be seen Des Höchsten Huld befördert ihr Verlangen, in Zion. The Highest’s grace assists its desire, Ps. 26:8. O Lord, I love the habitation of thy house. and (The grace of the Highest One assists its desire,) the place where thy glory dwells. Heb. 11:6. ...[But] whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

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Denn er erbaut den Ort, da man ihn herrlich schaut. Jn. 1:12. To all who ...beIieved in [Christ's] name, he For he builds the place, where one him in-glory gave power to become children of God. beholds. Eph. 3:17. ...Christ [will] dwell in your hearts through (For he builds that place where we may behold him in faith ... his glory.) 1 Jn. 3:1-3. See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. Both: The reason why the world does not know us is that it Da er den Glauben nun belohnt did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; Since he - faith now rewards it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall Und bei uns wohnt, see him as he is. And every one who thus hopes in him And with us dwells-- purifies himself as he is pure. Jn. 3:6. [Christ]: That which is born of the flesh is Bei uns als seinen Kindern, flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. With us as his (very) children-- Rom. 8:9-11, 14-16. You are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you... So kann die Welt und Sterblichkeit Thus can the world and (our) morality

die Freude nicht vermindern. (this) joy not diminish. (not diminish this joy.)

10 - Aria (Duetto) [Soprano, Bass] Ezra 3:10-11. When the builders laid the foundation of Oboes I/II, Basso Continuo the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons God has chosen this as his house; how good for us! of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord... and they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the O wie wohl ist uns geschehn, Lord. "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures for O how good (it) has for-us (turned-out), ever toward Israel." And all the people shouted with a (O how we have been blessed.) great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Daß sich Gott ein Haus ersehn! Zero. 2:10. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for That - God a house has-chosen! lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the Lord. Schmeckt und sehet doch zugleich, Ps. 46:7/11. The Lord of hosts is with us ... (O) taste and see indeed together, Ps. 34:8. O taste and see that the Lord is good! Happy (O, both taste and see,) is the man who takes refuge in him! Ps. 62:8. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out Gott sei freundlich gegen euch. your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. God is gracious to you. Ezek. 43:4-7. As the glory of the Lord entered the (How gracious God is toward you.) temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me into the inner court; and behold. the Schüttet eure Herzen aus glory of the Lord filled the temple. While the man was Pour your hearts out standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of (Pour out your hearts) the temple; and he said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of my throne ...where I will dwell in the midst of Hier vor Gottes Thron und Haus! the people of Israel forever ..." Here before God’s throne and house!

11 - Recitative [Bass] Lk. 19:5-6. When Jesus came to the place [where Basso Continuo Zacchaeus was in the sycamore tree], he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; God dwells in this building as well as our hearts. for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste

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and came down and received him joyfully. Wohlan demnach, du heilige Gemeine, Rev. 21:3. ...Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. Come-on, (then), thou holy congregation, He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them. Bereite dich zur heilgen Lust! Zech. 2:10. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for Prepare thyself for holy delight! lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the Lord. Gott wohnt nicht nur in einer jeden Brust, Ps. 16:11. ...[O Lord], in thy presence there is fullness God dwells not only in every individual breast, of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures forevermore. Is. 57:15. Thus says the high and lofty One who Er baut sich hier ein Haus. inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the He (also) builds for-himself here a house. high and holy place, and also with him who is of a (He also builds a house here for himself.) contrite and humble spirit!..." Eph. 3:17, 19. ...Christ [will] dwell in your hearts Wohlan, so rüstet euch through faith ...that you may be filled with all the Come-on, then (clothe) yourselves fullness of God. Eph. 5:18. ...Be filled with the Spirit mit Geist und Gaben aus, 1 Cor. 12:11. All these [gifts] are inspired by one and with (the) Spirit and (his) gifts - , the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. Daß ihm so wohl dein Herz als auch dies Haus gefalle! 2 Chron. 7:11-12. Thus Solomon finished the house of That him (both) thine heart as well-as this house please! the Lord ...Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the (That both thy heart and this house might be pleasing to night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and him!) have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice."

12 - Chorale [S, A, T, B] Ps. 90:17. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon Oboes I-III, Violins I/II, Viola, Basso Continuo us, and establish thou the work of our hands upon us, yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. Prayer that God accept our efforts and bless them. 2 Cor. 1:18-20. As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. For the Son of God, Verse 1 Jesus Christ...was not Yes and No; but in him it is Sprich Ja zu meinen Taten, always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes Say “Yes” to my endeavors, in him. That is why we utter the Amen through him, to the glory of God. Hilf selbst das Beste raten; Rom. 8:28. ...In everything God works for good with Help, thyself, the best to-advise; those who love him, who are called according to his (Advise me thyself so I will choose the best part;) purpose. Jms. 1:5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask Den Anfang, Mittl und Ende, God...and it will be given him. The beginning, middle, and end, Ps. 16:7. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. Ach, Herr, zum besten wende! Ah Lord, to-the best turn! Gen. 32:26. ..1 will not let you go, unless you bless me. (Ah Lord, make them all turn out for the best!) Deut. 26:15. [O Lord,] look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people... Verse 2 Ps. 28:9. O save thy people, and bless thy heritage; be Mit Segen mich beschütte, thou their shepherd, and carry them forever. With (thy poured-out) blessing me cover, 1 Kings 8:57-58. [May] the Lord our God be with us, (Pour over me thy blessing,) as he was with our fathers; may he not leave us or forsake us; that he may incline our hearts to him, to Mein Herz sei deine Hütte, walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, (May) my heart be thy shelter, his statutes, and his ordinances... (May my heart be thy abode,) Eph. 3:17, 19. ...[May] Christ...dwell in your hearts

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through faith ...that you may be filled with all the Dein Wort sei meine Speise, fullness of God. (May) thy Word be my food, Col. 3:16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly... Mt. 4:4. [Christ]: ...Man shall not live by bread alone, Bis ich gen Himmel reise! but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Till I to heaven journey! God. 1 Thess. 5:23. May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 10

O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165 O holy bath of spirit and water11

Librettists: Salomon Franck (mvmts. 1-5), and Ludwig Helmbold (mvmt. 6)

Scripture readings for the day of the first performance and successive revivals, Trinity Sundays, June 16, 1715; (June 7, 1716 likely); June 4, 172412: Rom. 11:33-36 (O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!) Jn. 3:1-15 (Discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus: You must be born anew)

Following is a table of the libretto translations, scriptural allusions, and the first lines of the scriptural passages (unless the full passages seem particularly significant for the cantata):

Translation Scripture

1 - Aria [Soprano] Jn. 3:3, 5-6. Jesus answered [Nicodemus], 'Truly, truly, Violins I/II, Viola, Bassoon, and Basso Continuo I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God...Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one Baptism by Spirit and water brings us into the kingdom. is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." O sacred Spirit- and water-bath, Lk. 3:16. John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the Das Gottes Reich uns einverleibet thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he Which God's kingdom for-us incorporates will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Which puts God's kingdom within us) 1 Pet. 3:21. Baptism, which corresponds to [Noah's experience] now saves you, not as a removal of dirt Und uns ins Buch des Lebens schreibet! from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear And us into-the book of life writes! conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (And writes our names into the book of life!) Gen. 7:11-12, 21-22, 23. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day

10 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 674-683. All quoted or paraphrased elements of this cantata’s appendix are from Unger unless otherwise marked. 11 Johann Christian, "O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad," In Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcom Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 331. 12 Ibid.

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O Flut, die alle Missetat of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great O flood, which all iniquity deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and Durch ihre Wunder kraft ertränket forty nights... And all flesh died that moved upon the Through its miraculous-power drowns earth, birds, cattle, beasts, all swarming creatures that (O flood which drowns all iniquity through its swarm upon the earth, and every man; everything on miraculous power) the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died... only Noah was left, and those that were with him Und uns das neue Leben schenket! in the ark. And on-us the new life bestows! Rom. 6:4. We were buried therefore with [Christ] by (And bestows the new life upon us!) baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad! newness of life. O sacred Spirit- and water-bath! 2 Cor. 5:17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. Col. 3:9-10 ...You have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Rev. 21:27. Nothing unclean shall enter [the heavenly city] ...only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Lk. 10:20 [Christ]: Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

2 - Recitative [Bass] Jn. 3:5-6 [Christ]: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one Basso Continuo is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is Baptism by water and Spirit heals us of sin’s disease flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Ps. 51:5. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in Die sündige Geburt verdammter Adamserben sin did my mother conceive me. The sin-begotten birth of-the-cursed heirs-of-Adam Rom. 7:18. I know that nothing good dwells within me, (The sinful nature inherited at birth by the cursed heirs that is, in my flesh... of Adam) Rom. 5:12, 17-19. ...Sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to Gebieret Gottes Zorn, den Tod und das Verderben. all men because all men sinned...Because of one man's Gives-birth-to God's wrath, - death, and - perdition. trespass, death reigned through that one (Brings God's wrath, death, and perdition upon us.) man...One man's trespass led to condemnation for all men... Denn was vom Fleisch geboren ist, Eph. 2:1-6. And you [God] made alive, when you were For whatever of-the flesh born is, dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once (For whatever is born of the flesh,) walked, following the course of the world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now Ist nichts als Fleisch, von Sunden angestecket, at work in the sons of disobedience. Among these we Is naught but flesh, by sin contaminated, all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the (Is but fleshly, contaminated by sin,) desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. But God, Vergiftet und beflecket. who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which Poisoned, and stained. he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace Wie selig ist ein Christ! you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and How blessed is a Christian! made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

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Er wird im Geist- und Wasserbade 1 Pet. 3:21. Baptism ...now saves you, not as a removal He becomes in-that Spirit- and water-bath of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear (In that Spirit- and water-bath) conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Rom. 6:3-4. Do you not know that all of us who have Ein Kind der Seligkeit und Gnade. been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his A child of' heavenly-bliss and grace. death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism (He becomes a child of heavenly bliss and grace.) into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness Er ziehet Christum an of life. He puts Christ on Rom. 6:23. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift {He clothes himself with Christ} of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Cor. 15:21-22, 47-49. As by a man came death, by a Und seiner Unschuld weiße Seide, man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as And (with) his innocence's white silk, in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive (And with the white silk of Christ's innocence;) ...The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so Er wird mit Christi Blut, der Ehren Purpurkleide, are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of He is with Christ's blood, of glory (the) purple-robe, heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear Im Taufbad angetan. the image of the man of heaven. In baptism's-bath attired. Ezek. 16:9-10 [God): I bathed you with water ...I (In baptism's bath he is attired with Christ's blood, the swathed you in fine linen and covered you with silk. purple robe of glory.) Gal. 3:27. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Rev. 7:14. ...[The righteous] have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

3 - Aria [Alto] Eph. 2:4-6. God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great Basso Continuo love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Prayer: May my baptism’s healing purpose ever be Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up realized with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Jesu, der aus großer Liebe Mk. 16:16 [Christ]: He who believes and is baptized (O) Jesus, who, out-of great love, will be saved ... Col. 2:12-14. And you were buried with him in In der Taufe mir verschriebe baptism, in which you were also raised with him In (the-rite-of) baptism to-me has-pledged through faith in the working of God, who raised him (In the rite of baptism pledged to me) from the dead. And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive Leben, Heil und Seligkeit, together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, Life, salvation, and blessedness, having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the Hilf, daß ich mich dessen freue cross. Help, that I - over-this might-rejoice Rom. 6:4, 11-12. We were buried therefore with him (Help that I might rejoice over this) by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk Und den Gnadenbund erneue in newness of life...So you also must consider And this covenant-of-grace renew yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (And renew this covenant of grace) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. In der ganzen Lebenszeit, Col. 3:1. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek (Throughout) the whole (of my) life's-span. the things that are above, where Christ is...

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4 - Recitative [Bass] 1 Pet. 1:3. ...By [God's] great mercy we have been born Violins 1/II, Viola, Bassoon, and Basso Continuo anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ ... Baptismal vows are often broken, sanctification is Rom. 6:4. We were buried ...with him by baptism into needed death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of Ich habe ja, mein Seelenbräutigam, life. I have, indeed, (O) my soul's-bridegroom-- Jn. 3:3 [Christ): ...Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.. Da du mich neu geboren, 1 Jn. 4:10. In this is love, not that we loved God but When thou (didst-make) me newly born-- that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. Dir ewig treu zu sein geschworen, Jn. 1:29. ... [John] saw Jesus coming toward him, and To-thee ever faithful to be sworn, said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the (l have indeed sworn ever to be faithful to thee, O my sin of the world!" soul's bridegroom, when thou didst give me new birth,) Jer.31:3 [God): ...I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Hochheilges Gotteslamm; Hos. 2:19 [God]: I will betroth you to me for ever ... Most-holy Lamb-of-God; Jer. 3:20. Surely, as a faithless wife leaves her husband, so have you been faithless to me, O house of Doch hab ich, ach! den Taufbund oft gebrochen Israel, says the -Lord. Yet have I, alas, the covenant-of-baptism often broken Heb. 10:28-29. A man who has violated the law of (Yet, alas, I have often broken the covenant of baptism) Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you Und nicht erfüllt, was ich versprochen, think will be deserved by the man who has And not fulfilled, What I did-promise; spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Erbarme, Jesu, dich Spirit of grace? Have-mercy, (O) Jesus -, Rom. 6:2-3. ...How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been Aus Gnaden über mich! baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Out-of grace upon me! 2 Cor. 11:2-3. I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I (O Jesus, out of thy grace, have mercy upon me!) betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband. But I am afraid that as the serpent Vergib mir die begangne Sünde, deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led Forgive me the committed sins, astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Gen. 3:9, 11-13. [After Adam and Eve had eaten of the Du weißt, mein Gott, wie schmerzlich ich empfinde forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden], the Lord God Thou knowest, (O) my God, how painfully I experience called to the man, and said to him, "...Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The Der alten Schlangen Stich; man said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with The ancient serpent's sting; me, she gave me fruit of the tree and I ate." Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this that you Das Sündengift verderbt mir Leib und Seele, have done?" The woman said, 'The serpent beguiled The venom-of-sin corrupts (my) body and soul, me, and I ate." Rom. 5:12, 19. Sin came into the world through one Hilf, daß ich gläubig dich erwähle, man and death through sin, and so death spread to all Help, that I, believing, thee might-choose, men... by one man's disobedience many were made (Help that, in faith. I would choose thee,) sinners... Gen. 6:5. The Lord saw that the wickedness of man Blutrotes Schlangenbild, was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the (O) blood-red serpent-image, thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Ps. 14:2-3. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any that act wisely,

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Das an dem Kreuz erhöhet, that seek after God. They have all gone astray, they are Which on the cross hath-been-raised, all alike corrupt; there is none that does good, no, not one. Das alle Schmerzen stillt Rom. 7:15, 19-20. I do not understand my own actions Which all suffering doth-still ...For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is Und mich erquickt. wenn alle Kraft vergehet. no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me ... And me doth-revive, when all strength (hath-vanished). Lk. 18:13. ...God be merciful to me a sinner! Num. 21:5-9. The people [of Israel] spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, ''Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. Jn. 3:14-15. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Heb. 12:1-2. ...Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross...

5 - Aria [Tenor] Is. 25:8. He will swallow up death forever, and the Violins I/II and Basso Continuo Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces... 2 Tim. 2:10. ...through the appearing of our Savior Prayer: Sanctify me till death; You conquered death and Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and sin immortality to light... Heb. 2:14-15. Since therefore the children share in Jesu, meines Todes Tod, flesh and blood, [Christ] himself likewise partook of the (O) Jesus, (who art) my death's death, same nature, that through death he might destroy him (O Jesus, thou who art the death of my death,) who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject Laß in meinem Leben to lifelong bondage. Let in my life 1 Jn. 3:8. ...The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. Und in meiner letzten Not Heb. 9:26. [Christ] appeared... to put away sin by the And (also) in my last (hour's) need sacrifice of himself. 1 Jn. 3:5. You know that he appeared to take away sins, Mir vor Augen schweben, and in him there is no sin. Before-mine eyes (this thought) hover, Num. 21:9. Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at Daß du mein Heilschlänglein seist the bronze serpent and live. That thou my serpent-of-Salvation art Jn. 3:14-15. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that

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Für das Gift der Sunde. whoever believes in him might have eternal life. For the poison of sin. Heb. 13:12. Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Heile, Jesu, Seel und Geist, 1 Thess. 5:23. May...God...sanctify you wholly; and Heal, (O) Jesus, (my) soul and spirit, may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Daß ich Leben finde! That I life might-find!

6 - Chorale [S, A, T, B] Jms. 1:21. ...The implanted word ...is able to save your Violins I/II, Viola, Bassoon, and Basso Continuo souls. Mt.7:24-25 [Christ]: Everyone then who hears these Baptism, Word, and Eucharist guard us from evil words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and Sein Wort. sein Tauf, sein Nachtmahl the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that His Word, his baptism, his supper house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. Dient wider allen Unfall. 1 Pet. 3:21. Baptism ...now saves you, not as a removal Serves to-counter all calamity; of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Der Heilge Geist im Glauben 1 Cor. 10:16. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it The Holy Ghost in faith not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread (Through our faith the Holy Ghost) which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Lehrt uns darauf vertrauen. Jn. 6:54,56 [Christ]: He who eats my flesh and drinks Teaches us in-this to-trust. my blood has eternal life ... He who eats my flesh and (Teaches us to believe this.) drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. Jn. 14:26-27 [Christ]: The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things... 1 Cor. 2:12-14. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit. The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 13

13 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 569-573. All quoted or paraphrased elements of this cantata’s appendix are from Unger unless otherwise marked.

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Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding, BWV 176 The heart is deceitful above all things14

Librettist: Christiane Mariane von Ziegler (modified)

Scripture readings for the day of the first performance, Trinity Sunday, May 27, 172515: Rom. 11:33-36 (O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!) Jn. 3:1-15 (Discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus: You must be born anew)

Following is a table of the libretto translations, scriptural allusions, and the first lines of the scriptural passages (unless the full passages seem particularly significant for the cantata):

Translation Scripture

1 - Chorus [S, A, T, B] Jer. 17:9-10. The heart is deceitful above all things, Oboes I/II, Oboe da caccia, Violins I/II, Viola, and and desperately corrupt; who can understand it? “I the Basso Continuo Lord search the mind and try the heart, to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his Heart is obstinate and hopeless: Jer. 17:9 (modified) doings." Prov. 20:9. Who can say, “I have made my heart clean; Es ist ein trotzig und verzagt Ding I am pure from my sin"? It is an obstinate and disheartening thing Jn.2:25. [Jesus] knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in um aller Menschen Herze. man. about all human hearts. (about the human heart.)

2 - Recitative [Alto] Jn. 3:1-3. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, Basso Continuo named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that Timid Nicodemus, unlike Joshua, prefers night you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, un1ess God is with him." Ich meine, recht verzagt, Jn. 19:38-39. ... [After Jesus' crucifixion] Joseph of I think (it was) truly faint-hearted (of him), Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, [verzagt = disheartened but also faint-hearted] for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. So Daß Nikodemus sich bei Tage nicht, he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who That Nicodemus - by day not (but) had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds' Bei Nacht zu Jesus wagt. weight. By night to Jesus did-venture. Jn. 7:13. For fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of (That Nicodemus would not venture to visit Jesus by [Jesus]. day but only by night.) Jn. 12:42. Many even of the authorities believed in [Jesus], but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it... 2 Tim. 1:8. Do not be ashamed... of testifying to our Lord ...

14 David Schulenberg, "Es ist ein trotzig un verzagt Ding" In Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcom Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 163. 15 Ibid.

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Die Sonne mußte dort bei Josua so lange stille stehn, 1 Thess. 5:4-5, 8. You are not in darkness, brethren... The sun was-forced - with Joshua so long still to-stand, For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are (In Joshua's day the sun was forced to stand still so not of the night or of darkness... we belong to the day... long.) Josh. 10:12-14. ...Joshua [spoke] to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the men of So lange bis der Sieg vollkommen war geschehn; Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand So long till the victory fully had-been accomplished; thou still at Gibeon, and thou Moon in the valley of (Until the victory had been fully accomplished;) Aijalon." And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies... The Hier aber Wünschet Nikodem: sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to Here however wishes Nicodemus: go down for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord hearkened to the O säh ich sie zu Ruste gehn! voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel. O saw I it to rest go! (But here Nicodemus wishes: O that the sun would go to rest!)

3 - Aria [Soprano] 2 Cor. 4:3-4, 6. Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled Violins I/II, Viola, and Basso Continuo only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to Fear keeps me from seeking omnipotent God by day keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God...For it is the Dein sonst hell beliebter Schein God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who Thy normally bright beloved radiance has shone in our hearts to give the light of the (Thy beloved radiance, normally so bright,) knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 1 Thess. 5:5-8. For you are all sons of light and sons of Soll für mich umnebelt sein, the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then Must for me beclouded be, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and [Nebel = fog] be sober. For those who sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But, since we belong to the Weil ich nach dem Meister frage, day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith While I for the master ask, and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. (While I seek the master,) Mt.10:32-33 [Christ]: Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father Denn ich scheue mich bei Tage. who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I For I am-fearful by day. also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. 2 Tim. 2:12. If we endure, we shall also reign with him; Niemand kann die Wunder tun, if we deny him, he also will deny us. No-one can these wonders do, Jn. 3:1-3. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, (No human could do such wonders,) named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that Denn sein Allmacht und sein Wesen. you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do For his omnipotence, and his nature, these signs that you do, unless God is with him." (For his almighty power, and his nature,) Jn. 2:23. ...Many believed in [Jesus'] name when they saw the signs which he did. Scheint, ist göttlich auserlesen, Jn. 20:30-31. Now Jesus did many other signs in the It-would-seem, are divinely chosen, presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Gottes Geist muß auf ihm ruhn. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing God's Spirit must upon him be-resting. you may have life in his name. (God's Spirit must be resting upon him.)

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4 - Recitative [Bass] Jn. 3:1-2. ..Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews ...came to Basso Continuo Jesus by night... Jn. 20:19. On the evening of [the first day after Christ's Fear keeps me from seeking God openly; yet I believe resurrection]... the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. So wundre dich, O Meister, nicht, Mt.26:41 [Christ]: ...The spirit indeed is willing, but the So wonder -, O master, not flesh is weak. (So do not wonder, O master,) Rom. 7:15, 18-20, 24-25. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very Warum ich dich bei Nacht ausfrage! thing I hate... For I know that nothing good dwells Why I thee by night do-seek! within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, (Why I seek thee by night!) but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I Ich fürhte, daß bei Tage do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which I fear, that by day dwells within me...Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God Mein Ohnmacht nicht bestehen kann. through Jesus Christ our Lord!... My powerlessness (will) not to-stand-the-test be-able. Mk. 10:24, 26-27. ..Jesus said to [his disciples], (My powerlessness will not be able to stand the test.) "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!" ..And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to Doch tröst ich mich, him, 'Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them Yet comfort I myself, and said, ''With men it is impossible, but not with God; (Yet I comfort myself that) for all things are possible with God." Jn. 6:35, 37. Jesus said to them, "...All that the Father du nimmst mein Herz und Geist gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I thou dost-admit-and-accept my heart and spirit will not cast out." Mk. 5:36. ..Jesus said..."Do not fear, only believe." Zum Leben auf und an, Jn. 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his Unto life - - -, only Son, that whoever believes in him should not [aufnehmen = to admit, annehmen = to accept] perish but have eternal life.

Weil alle, die nur an dich glauben, nicht verloren werden. For all, who just in thee believe, not lost shall-be. (For all who will just believe in thee, shall not perish.)

5 - Aria [Alto] Jn. 12:42. Many even of the authorities believed in Oboes I/II, Oboe da caccia, and Basso Continuo [Jesus], but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it... Courage! God promises eternal life by faith Rev. 3:2 [Christ]: Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your Emuntert euch, furchtsam und schüchterne Sinne, works perfect... Rouse yourselves, (O) fearful and timid faculties, Is. 35:3-4. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, Erholet euch, höret. was Jesus verspricht: "Be strong, fear not! ..." Be-renewed; hear, what Jesus promises: Lk. 8:50 [Christ]: ...Do not fear; only believe..:' Lk. 22:32 [Christ]: I have prayed for you that your faith Daß ich durch den Glauben den Himmel gewinne. may not fail... That I through - faith heaven obtain. Jn. 3:14-15 [Christ]: As Moses lifted up the serpent in (That I shall obtain heaven by faith.) the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Wenn die Verheißung erfüllend geschicht. Jn. 3:16 [Christ]: For God so loved the world that he When the promise (fulfillment) (achieves), gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should (When the promise is finally fulfilled,) not perish but have eternal life.

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Rom. 5:1-2. Therefore, since we are justified by faith, Werd ich dort oben we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Sball I up-there Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing Mit Danken und Loben the glory of God. With giving-of-thanks and extolling Jude 1:24-25. To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you without blemish before the Vater, Sohn und Heilgen Geist presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty. dominion, and authority, before all time and Preisen, der dreieinig heißt. now and forever. Amen. Praise, who triune is-called. Rev. 5:11-13. Then [in my vision] I looked, and I heard (Up there in heaven I shall praise Father, Son, and Holy around the throne and the living creatures and the elders Ghost--who is called the triune God--with giving of the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of thanks and extolling.) myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ''Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" Mt. 28:19. ...in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...

6 - Choral [S, A, T, B] Jn. 3:3, 5. Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, Oboes I/II, Oboe da caccia, Violins I/II, Viola, and unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of Basso Continuo God...Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of Kingdom of heaven sought: there triune God praised God." Rev. 11:15. ...The kingdom of the world has become Auf daß wir also allzugleich the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall So that we thus altogether reign forever and ever. (Our goal is that we thus altogether) Rev. 4:8. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings...day and night they never cease to sing, Zur Himmelspforten dringen ''Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was To-the gates-of-heaven may-press and is and is to come!" 1 Tim. 6:15-16. ...[He is] the blessed and only Und dermaleinst in deinem Reich Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who And hereafter in thy kingdom alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light... To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. Ohn alles Ende singen, Rev. 17:14....He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and Without - end (may) sing, those with him are called and chosen and faithful. Ps. 95:3. The Lord is a great God, and a great King Daß du allein König seist, above all gods. That thou alone king art, Ps. 144:1-2. Blessed be the Lord...my stronghold and (That thou alone art king,) my deliverer... Ex. 15:13. [O Lord,] thou hast led in thy steadfast love Hoch über alle Götter, the people whom thou hast redeemed, thou hast guided High above all gods, them by thy strength to thy holy abode. Jn. 3:5, 13, 16. ...Unless one is born of water and the Gott Vater, Sohn und Heilger Geist, Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God... No one God (the) Father, Son and Holy Ghost, has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man... God so loved the world that

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Der Frommen Schutz und Retter, he gave his only Son... [Trinity = God, Son, and Spirit] Of godly-men (the) refuge and Savior, Mt. 28:19. ...in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...16 Ein Wesen, drei Personen. One being (in) three persons.

Gelobet sei der Herr, BWV 129 Praised be the Lord, my God17

Librettist: Johann Olearius

Scripture readings for the day of the first performance, Trinity Sunday, June 16, 1726 18: Rom. 11:33-36 (O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!) Jn. 3:1-15 (Discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus: You must be born anew)

Following is a table of the libretto translations, scriptural allusions, and the first lines of the scriptural passages (unless the full passages seem particularly significant for the cantata):

Translation Scripture

1 - Chorus [S, A, T, B] - [Chorale Vs. 1]19 1 Kings 8:56. Blessed be the Lord.. Trumpets 1-III, Timpani, Transverse Flute, Oboes I/II, Ps. 113:2. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this Violins 1/II, Viola, Organ, and Basso Continuo time forth and for evermore! Rom. 11:33, 36. O the depths of the riches and wisdom Praise to God the Creator: my light and life. and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ..For from Gelobet sei der Herr, him and through him and to him are all things. To him Blessed be the Lord, be glory forever. Amen. Ps. 27:1. The Lord is my light and my salvation ...The Mein Gott. mein Licht, mein Leben, Lord is the stronghold of my life... My God, my light, my life, Ps. 100:3. Know that the Lord is God! It is he that made us, and we are his... Mein Schöpfer, der mir hat Ps. 139:13-16. [0 Lord,] thou didst form my inward My Creator, who me hath parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb. (My creator, who hath given me) I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; Mein Leib und Seel gegeben, my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being My body and soul given, made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the (My body and soul,) earth. Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy

16 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 609-612. All quoted or paraphrased elements of this cantata’s appendix are from Unger unless otherwise marked. 17 David Humphreys, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott," In Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, ed. Malcolm Boyd (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 188 18 Alfred Dürr, The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text, trans. Richard D. P. Jones (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), 379. 19 The cantata is a five-movement composition based on the chorale “Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott” by Johann Olearius. Each stanza of the chorale is set by each movement of the cantata.

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book were written, every one of them, the days that Mein Vater, der mich schützt were formed for me, when as yet there was none of My Father, who me protects them. (My Father, who protects me) Ps.103:13. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him. Von Mutterleibe an, Ps. 22:9-10. [O Lord,] thou art he who took me from From (my) mother's-womb on, the womb; thou didst keep me safe upon my mother's (Since my mother's womb,) breasts. Upon thee was I cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me thou hast been my God. Der alle Augenblick Ps. 71:5-6. Thou, O Lord, art my hope, my trust, O Who (each) moment (of my life) Lord, from my youth. Upon thee I have leaned from my birth; thou art he who took me from my mother's womb. Viel Guts an mir gatan. My praise is continually of thee. Much good to me hath-done. Ps. 116:7. ...The Lord has dealt bountifully with you... (Hath done much good to me.) Lam. 3:22-23. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.

2 - Aria [Bass] - [Chorale Vs. 2] Lk. 1:68-69. Blessed be the Lord God...for he has Organ and Basso Continuo visited and redeemed his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us ... Praise to God the Son: my Salvation, my life Jn. 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not Gelobet sei der Herr, perish but have eternal life. Blessed be the Lord. Gal. 1:3-4. ...Our Lord Jesus Christ...gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age... Mein Gott, mein Heil, mein Leben, Tit. 2:13-14. ...Our great God and Savior Jesus My God, my salvation, my life, Christ...gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity... Des Vaters liebster Sohn, 1 Jn. 4:10. In this is love, not that we loved God but The Father's dearest Son, that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. Der sich für mich gegeben. 1 Tim. 2:5-6. For there is one God, and there is one Who himself for me did-give, mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (Who gave himself for me,) who gave himself as a ransom for all. 1 Pet. 1:18-19. You...were ransomed ...not with Der mich erlöset hat perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the Who me redeemed hath precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without (Who redeemed me) blemish or spot. Eph. 3:17. ... that Christ may dwell in your hearts Mit seinem teuren Blut, through faith ... With his precious blood, 1 Jn. 1:3. ...Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Der mir im Glauben schenkt Ps. 16:5. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup... Who to-me through faith doth-give

Sich selbst. das höchste Gut. Him-self, the highest good. (Who gives himself, the highest good, to me by faith.)

3 - Aria [Soprano] - [Chorale Vs. 3] Ps. 73:26. [O Lord,] my flesh and my heart may fail, Transverse flute, Violin solo, Organ, and Basso but God is the strength of my heart and my portion Continuo forever. Jn. 14:16-17 [Christ]: I will pray the Father, and he will

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Praise to God the Holy Ghost: my comfort and strength give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth...He dwells with you, and will Gelobet sei der Herr, be in you. Blessed be the Lord, 1 Cor. 12:13. ... [We] all were made to drink of one Spirit. Mein Gott, mein Trost, mein Leben, Rom. 5:5. ...God's love has been poured into our hearts My God, my comfort, my life, through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. Gal. 4:6. Because you are sons. God has sent the Spirit Des Vaters werter Geist, of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" The Father's precious Spirit, Jn. 16:13-14 [Christ]: When the Spirit of truth comes. he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak Den mir der Sohn gegeben, on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will Whom me the Son did-give, speak...He will take what is mine and declare it to you. (Who was given to me by the Son,) Rom. 11:33-34. O the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Der mir mein Hertz erquickt. judgments and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has Who - my heart doth-revive, known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his (Who revives my heart,) counselor?" Jn. 14:26 [Christ]: But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, Der mir gibt neue Kraft, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach Who to-me doth-give new strength, you all things... (Who gives me new strength,) Acts 1:8 [Christ]: You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you... Der mir in aller Not Is. 40:29-31. [The Lord] gives power to the faint, and to Who me in all distress him who has no might he increases strength. Even (Who provides me in all distress) youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall Rat, Trost und Hülfe schafft. renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings Counsel, comfort, and help provideth. like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall (With counsel, comfort, and help.) walk and not faint. Ps. 34:17, 19. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles ...Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

4 - Aria [Alto] - [Chorale Vs. 4] Ps. 89:52. Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Oboe d’amore, Organ, and Basso Continuo Amen. Ps. 106:48. Blessed be the Lord ...from everlasting to Praise to the Trinity, who is praised by all everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the Lord! Gelobet sei der Herr, Rom. 11:36. From him and through him and to him are Blessed be the Lord, all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Ps. 150:6. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!. Mein Gott, der ewig lebet, .. My God, who eternally liveth, Rev. 4:10. The twenty-four elders fall down before him (My God, who lives eternally,) who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever... Den alles lobet, was Ps. 148:1-4. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the Whom all-things praise, that heavens, praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and In allen Lüften schwebet; moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise In all-the (skies) do-hover; him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the (Whom all things that hover in all the skies do praise;) heavens! Is. 6:1-3. ...I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high

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Gelobet sei der Herr, and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him Blessed be the Lord, stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and Des Name heilig heißt, with two he flew. And one called to another and said: Whose name Holy is-called, ''Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is (Whose name is called Holy,) full of his glory." 1 Sam. 2:2. There is none holy like the Lord... Gott Vater, Gott der Sohn Is. 57:15. [He is] the high and lofty One who inhabits God (the) Father, God the Son, eternity, whose name is Holy... Mt. 28:19. ...the name of the Father and of the Son and Und Gott der Heilge Geist. of the Holy Spirit. And God the Holy Ghost.

5 - Chorale [S, A, T, B] - [Chorale Vs. 5] Rom. 11:36. From him and through him and to him are Trumpets I-III, Timpani, Transverse Flute, Oboes I/II, all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Violins I/II, Viola, Organ, and Basso Continuo Rev. 4:8-11. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and Praise to the Trinity; singing “Holy” with angels within, and day and night they never cease to sing, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord god almighty, who was Mit Freuden lassen klingen and is and is to come!” and whenever the living With joy let resound creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is (The one to whom we now let that Sanctus joyfully seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the resound) twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and Und mit der Engel Schar ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, And with the angel host “Worthy are thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou didst create all things, Das Heilig, Heilig singen, and by thy will they existed and were created.” That ''Holy, Holy" sing, Rev. 5:11-14. Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice Den herzlich lobt und preist of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and Whom heartily doth-laud and praise thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power Die ganze Christenheit: and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory The entire Christendom: and blessing!” and I heard every creature in heaven and (Whom the entire Christendom doth heartily laud and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all praise:) therein, saying, “To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might Gelobet sei mein Gott forever and ever!” and the four living creatures said, Praised be my God “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Ps. 106:48. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from In alle Ewigkeit! everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, For all eternity! “Amen!” Praise the Lord!20

20 Unger, Handbook to Bach’s Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions, 448-450. All quoted or paraphrased elements of this cantata’s appendix are from Unger unless otherwise marked.

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